Pep Guardiola Points Out His Biggest Problem
Speaking to the press on Tuesday ahead of Manchester City's match against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola admitted that injuries are making it difficult for his team to end their poor run of form.
The Premier League giants take center stage this Wednesday, December 4. In a rare midweek round of fixtures, British football fans will be treated to an exciting set of matches. And for good reason. Unquestionable leaders in England, Liverpool face a tough trip to Newcastle, while Manchester United and Arsenal clash at the Emirates Stadium in the highlight of this 14th round of the Premier League. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City faces a challenging task against Nottingham Forest as they look to get back to winning ways and put an end to their unprecedented and seemingly endless string of setbacks.
The Skyblues, four-time consecutive Premier League champions, are currently on a seven-game winless streak across all competitions, which includes four straight league defeats against Bournemouth, Brighton, Tottenham, and Liverpool.
Guardiola still believes in the title
Asked once again to explain the reasons behind this poor form, Pep Guardiola refrained from making excuses but acknowledged that the high number of injuries is complicating their recovery. “I desperately want five goals and assists from Phil Foden after last season. Five from Kevin, goals and assists from Jeremy Doku, from Jack Grealish, from Savinho, or Gundo. Five goals and assists from each of these players. Not 20, 30, or 40. Just five goals and assists from them, and we would be at the top of the table. Why hasn’t it happened? They weren’t there. They were injured. They weren’t ready. That is my biggest problem,” the Spanish coach revealed during the press conference, confident that Manchester City, currently fifth in the Premier League, would hold a much better position if it weren’t for the absences.
Despite all the setbacks, Guardiola remained optimistic and refused to give up on the title race. “We don’t feel sorry for ourselves, and I don’t feel sorry for myself. It’s just how it is, and we have to accept it. I’d say we’re not far from the second-place team in the Premier League, but it’s always about how you play, the consistency you have, and many other things that give you positive thoughts about what’s ahead. We just need to focus on the next match and move on to forget this,” he explained.
The Skyblues will try to follow this wise advice tonight against Nottingham Forest, aiming to break their negative streak and finally find the much-needed ray of hope in the north of England.
