Guardiola Takes Responsibility for City’s Poor Run of Form
The experienced Spanish coach is holding himself accountable for Manchester City’s series of disappointing performances.
Eight losses in 11 matches—an uncharacteristic record for a club of City’s stature. The reigning English champions seem to be struggling for rhythm, with their form deteriorating further. Following their 2-1 loss to Manchester United in the Manchester Derby, Pep Guardiola took full responsibility, admitting he doesn’t feel like a good enough coach for the team right now.
City’s defeat on Sunday came at their home ground, where they initially led through a Josko Gvardiol goal. However, a late collapse saw Bruno Fernandes equalize with a penalty, and Amad Diallo sealed the win for United just three minutes later.
This latest setback has left City further behind in their quest to defend the Premier League title. They now sit fifth in the table with 27 points from 16 matches, trailing league leaders Liverpool by nine points, despite having played one match fewer.
Across all competitions, City has lost eight of their last 11 matches, including five defeats in their last seven league games. Reflecting on this slump, Guardiola openly admitted that he is failing to meet the expectations as a coach.
“I’m the leader, I’m the manager, and I’m not good enough. I need to find a solution—that’s the bottom line. I’m not doing well enough, and that’s the reality,” Guardiola stated. “We can’t blame any specific player; it’s not about this or that. It’s just been a difficult season.”
“We haven’t played at our best. We’re not at our peak, and we’re struggling a bit. This is our eighth loss in 11 games, which is not normal—something is wrong. Our performances are getting worse, and I need to find the solution. So far, I haven’t.”
City’s next chance to turn things around comes on Saturday against Aston Villa.