Foden backs Guardiola despite Man City’s slump

Phil Foden insists Manchester City’s players remain firmly behind Pep Guardiola despite a dismal 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the derby on Sunday, which extended their alarming slump in form.

The loss at the Etihad Stadium marked City’s eighth defeat in their last 11 games across all competitions. A late defensive collapse allowed United to score twice in the closing minutes, leaving the defending Premier League champions’ hopes of a fifth consecutive title hanging by a thread.

City now sits fifth in the league, nine points behind the leaders of Liverpool, who have a game in hand. Guardiola’s men have already suffered five league defeats this season, compared to just three across the entirety of their title-winning campaign last year.

In the aftermath, Guardiola described himself as “not good enough” as he navigated the worst crisis of his managerial career. However, Foden is adamant the team retains faith in the Spaniard, who recently extended his contract by two years.

“We are still nowhere near our level, but I still believe that we are playing good enough to get points and results,” Foden said. “It’s about remaining focused throughout the full 90 minutes, but we keep switching off at important times.

“We stick together, regroup, and believe in ourselves after what we’ve achieved in the past. We keep believing in the process and the manager — I’m sure if we do that, we’ll get back to winning ways and to our level.”

Manchester City’s upcoming challenge is on Saturday when they travel to face Aston Villa. Following that, they host Everton on December 26 before travelling to Leicester for their final game of the year.

Foden acknowledged the baffling nature of City’s decline, pointing to lapses in focus and a lack of consistency as key issues. “I can’t put a finger on what’s going on. I thought the performance was more than good enough to get the result, but we came out with no points, and it seems to be the same story.

“The changing room is obviously going to be down and sad, but we can’t dwell on this too much,” he added.

Foden urged his teammates to remain united and mentally strong with a packed festive schedule ahead. “It’s not a time for moaning, it’s about sticking together, remaining strong, and going again. I’m positive we are going to come back.”