The English champions face a problem after losing their fourth consecutive game in all competitions, 2-1 at Brighton, and falling five points behind Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday. Liverpool defeated Aston Villa 2-0, thanks to goals from Darwin Núñez and Mohamed Salah.
Second-placed City had not lost four games in a row since 2006, two years before Abu Dhabi took over the club and ten years before Guardiola’s game-changing arrival on Manchester’s blue side.
Guardiola, largely regarded as the world’s top coach, has never lost four consecutive games anywhere in his remarkable managerial career, which began in 2007.
The closest he got was in the 2014-15 season, when his team at Bayern Munich lost a penalty shootout in the German Cup, followed by three straight defeats — two in the Bundesliga, after Bayern had already won the title, and one in the Champions League.
So, after leading City to a record four consecutive top-flight league victories, Guardiola was asked if this marked the end of an era.
“It’s what the people want, right?” he inquired. “That’s normal—we won a lot. I would just like to have the entire squad (available).
That will not happen anytime soon, as top center midfielder Rodri, this year’s Ballon d’Or winner, is out for the season due to an ACL injury. Guardiola also had his top four center backs — Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Ake — out, while playmaker Kevin De Bruyne is plainly not sharp or fit enough after returning from injury.
“When we play badly, I am the first to say, ‘Oh, no, I don’t like it.'” “But I don’t have that feeling,” Guardiola stated.
Indeed, City dominated the first half, taking the lead when Erling Haaland scored his league-leading 12th goal of the season.
However, as in Tuesday’s 4-1 Champions League loss at Sporting, City was unable to maintain its level in the second half, and Brighton rallied back, with Joao Pedro equalizing in the 78th minute and setting up Matt O’Riley for the winner in the 83rd on Premier League debut.
City’s losing streak began last week at Tottenham in the English League Cup, followed by a 2-1 league defeat at Bournemouth, its first in 11 months.
Guardiola finds it simple. City’s team is struggling to keep up with all of its injuries as the games pile up.
“We cannot do it every three days, three days, four days, three days with the (injury) situation we have,” he said, adding with a desperate tone, “I would love to have the players (back).”
Following the international break, City’s next league game will be at home against Tottenham.
Salah inspires Liverpool.
Liverpool has won nine of its first 11 league games under new manager Arne Slot, who has Salah in excellent form.
Salah set up Nunez after a quick breakaway in the 20th minute, and he scored on another counterattack in the 84th for his 10th goal of the season.
“If you asked me before the season started, I would not say we were candidates,” Liverpool midfielder Alexis MacAllister said of his team’s title hopes, “but now it looks like (we are).”
Liverpool’s right back Trent Alexander-Arnold left the game in the first half due to a possible hamstring injury.
