Pep Guardiola and Manchester City’s struggles deepened on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, marking their sixth loss in the last eight Premier League outings. This rare dip in form sees City, the reigning champions, slip further in the standings as Villa leapfrogs them into fifth place.
Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran opened the scoring early, with Morgan Rogers doubling the lead in the 65th minute. Although Phil Foden managed a stoppage-time consolation goal for City, it was too late to alter the outcome.
The result extends the worst run of Guardiola’s illustrious managerial career, yet the Spaniard remains optimistic about his team’s ability to bounce back. Speaking to TNT Sports, Guardiola emphasized the resilience of his squad: “Step by step, we have nice personalities in the team and sooner or later we are going to find it.”
Pep Guardiola also commended Villa and their manager, Unai Emery, saying: “Congratulations Aston Villa and keep going. In the mid-block they are so strong. We had good moments and more chances than in the Manchester United game, but in the second half, our pressing was not good enough. We found a goal in the end, but too late.”
One of the major talking points remains the form of star striker Erling Haaland. The Norwegian, instrumental in City’s dominance during their four consecutive Premier League title wins, has now scored just once in his last six appearances.
As Villa enjoys their surge under Emery, City faces mounting pressure to recover their form and confidence in a title race that is quickly slipping from their grasp.
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