In a shocking turn of events, Manchester City is grappling with their worst spell under Pep Guardiola, marking a historic low in his distinguished managerial career.
This once-dominant force in English Football has now lost four consecutive matches across all competitions, falling to Brighton in a 2-1 defeat on Saturday. As a result, they now trail five points behind league leaders Liverpool, who secured a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa with Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah both finding the net.
It’s been since 2006 that City has experienced such a dismal run, a stark contrast to the glory days post-Abu Dhabi takeover and well before Guardiola’s influential arrival.
Guardiola, hailed as one of the finest managers in the sport, has never encountered such a troublesome patch, with the closest he came being in the 2014-15 season at Bayern Munich, where he suffered three league defeats coupled with a penalty shootout exit in the German Cup.
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After the match, Guardiola faced pointed questions about whether this marked the end of an era for a team that once claimed four consecutive league titles. “It’s what the people want, right?” he retorted, expressing a desire for his full squad to be available amidst a mounting injury crisis.
The situation has become dire with star midfielder Rodri sidelined for the season due to an ACL injury, and key defenders Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Ake unavailable. To compound matters, playmaker Kevin De Bruyne appears to be lacking fitness as he returns from his own injury.
Despite taking the lead through Erling Haaland, who slotted home his 12th league goal, City could not hold their advantage. Brighton came roaring back, equalizing through Joao Pedro in the 78th minute before Matt O’Riley scored the winner just five minutes later, dashing City’s hopes.
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Guardiola emphasized the squad’s struggles amidst a relentless fixture list, stating, “We cannot do it every three days, three days, four days, three days with the (injury) situation we have… I would love to have the players (back).” City’s next challenge comes post-international break against Tottenham at home.
In contrast, Liverpool continues to soar under new manager Arne Slot, winning nine of their first eleven league games. Salah’s scintillating form was on display as he assisted Nunez for the opener, before sealing the match with a goal of his own.
Wolverhampton secured a vital 2-0 win over Southampton, lifting them off the bottom of the table, while Fulham kept their impressive run alive with a 2-0 victory against Crystal Palace, thanks to a late strike from Harry Wilson.
In other action, Brentford rebounded from their disappointment against Fulham with a 3-2 victory over Bournemouth, while West Ham and Everton played to a lackluster 0-0 draw.
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