Pep Guardiola was in front of the cameras after Manchester City suffered a shock 4-0 loss to Tottenham. His words struck a chord: “We must accept reality and break with it.” It was an honest moment acknowledging historic difficulties for both Guardiola and his team. Five straight losses, mounting injuries and shaky team confidence, what’s going on at the Etihad?
The decline was inevitable
After years of dominating the Premier League, Guardiola has admitted a decline will occur. But 5 consecutive losses? It’s a whole different ball game. City have not achieved such a run of success since Stuart Pearce took office in 2006. Guardiola has never seen anything like it either.
He didn’t sugarcoat it. He is feeling the pressure as Liverpool could potentially move eight points clear. With a trip to Anfield looming, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
“We haven’t lived like this for eight years,” Guardiola said. “Sometimes football and life slap you in the face.”
How bad is it really?
Statistics don’t lie and they are brutal.
- This is Guardiola’s worst losing streak.
- It was City’s heaviest defeat at home since a 5-1 loss to Arsenal in 2003.
- The first current champion to record five consecutive wins since Chelsea in 1956.
City had 23 shots against Spurs but failed to find the net. This is something that has not happened since 2021. Are there any further concerns? They have given up an average of 1.25 goals per game this season compared to 0.79 last year.
What is behind the struggle?
It’s a mix of factors, none of which are small potatoes.
The counterattack is killing them.
City are being hit harder than ever, with 1.17 counter shots per game, almost double their previous best. Four of Spurs’ second-half chances came from lightning-quick counters.
Rhodri’s disappearance is devastating.
Rodri, arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world, made a huge mistake. City won 78% of their games with him in play, but only 50% without him. The difference is jaw-dropping.
aging squad
More than half of City’s league minutes this season have come from players aged 29 or over. This is the highest figure in the league. The legs become heavier and heavier, revealing themselves.
The numbers are grim.
During this losing streak, City’s goals have plummeted from 2.3 to 0.8 per game. Meanwhile, their goals conceded has tripled. Even normally tight defenses are leaking, and opponents are looking for better opportunities.
| statistics | First 14 games | Last 5 games |
|---|---|---|
| goals scored | 2.3 | 0.8 |
| goals conceded | 0.8 | 2.8 |
| shooting at target | 7.3 | 4.8 |
| Ownership (%) | 65.9 | 64.5 |
vulnerability and frustration
Coach Guardiola did not hesitate in his post-match interview. “We are vulnerable now,” he said. “We lost control and didn’t perform well in box-to-box situations. That’s not what we were made for.”
Football is a game of confidence and City’s football is clearly in short supply.
Experts also did not spare their words. Alan Shearer pointed to defensive confusion and a lack of pressing across the pitch. Micah Richards described City’s lack of energy and conviction as “appalling”.
Jamie Redknapp labeled him “too easy to deal with”. Meanwhile, Gary Neville said it was a “sobering day” for the reigning champions.
Is the title race over?
Liverpool’s win against Southampton could leave City 11 points behind before the game at Anfield. Guardiola admitted that if the gap widened it would be almost impossible to reverse.
For a team accustomed to winning everything, this is uncharted territory. “If we don’t win, it’s because we don’t deserve to win,” Guardiola said.
