Pep Guardiola remains optimistic that Manchester City will bounce back after suffering his first-ever four-game losing streak as a manager.
Man City’s recent 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Saturday followed consecutive losses to Tottenham in the League Cup, Bournemouth in the Premier League, and Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League.
This dip in form leaves City five points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool after 11 matches, putting their quest for a historic fifth straight league title under pressure.
Reflecting on the tough spell, Guardiola said, “I was a football player and many times I lost a lot of games—four in a row, five in a row, six in a row. I never expected that because we won in the past, it makes us special. People may believe that, but it’s not true.”
City’s recent struggles have been compounded by injuries to key players, including Ruben Dias, John Stones, Jeremy Doku, and Jack Grealish, all of whom missed the loss to Brighton.
“We are not consistent enough to maintain the level that helped us win over the years,” Guardiola admitted. “Hopefully, we’ll come back, and if we don’t, we’ll learn from this.”
Despite winning six of the last seven league titles, Guardiola pointed out that City often face challenges in the autumn, similar to last season when they won only one league match out of six during November and December before rallying to claim the title.
“Don’t be complacent when you win a lot—understand how difficult it is,” he advised. “That reminds us of the challenge, and how sweet it will be when we win again.”
As the international break concludes, City will face a tough schedule leading up to Christmas, with critical matches against Tottenham, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Manchester United, and Aston Villa.
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