Pep Guardiola admits Manchester City are ‘struggling’ after Aston Villa defeat

Pep Guardiola admits Manchester City are struggling (Picture: Getty Images)

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City need to ‘change the dynamic’ and are struggling after defeat to Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

The Premier League champions slipped to fourth in the table after a 1-0 defeat at Villa Park, with Leon Bailey scoring a second half winner.

Manchester City have not won any of their last four league games, drawing three of them and are now six points off table-toppers Arsenal.

It is not exactly disastrous but it is a notable dip for a team of City’s quality and Guardiola admits that he must change things in his struggling side.

‘It is my duty to find the solution,’ he said. ‘We have to find the way to win again, clean our heads and come back with momentum. When you are in this position, you can’t think much about big targets. We have to win the next game to change the dynamic.

‘The better team won. I said to the players: “In football, this happens. I know you wanted to win, I know you tried, because you have proved to me and everyone many, many times.”

‘Now the results are not so good when they always were [previously]. I have to think about it. I have to sleep, to reflect, I have to see the games, how the players [did] with this one and try to do it.

Leon Bailey scored the winner at Villa Park (Picture: Getty Images)

‘It was really difficult because they are really physical and able to control many aspects. That is the reason why they are up there, playing good football and we could not do it.

‘It’s my duty, my job to find a way to come back from the situation because over many years together we were able to find a way to play games – sometimes playing good, sometimes not but always we found a way to do it – and now we are struggling. We have to change the dynamic.’

City will have the chance to get back to winning ways in their next outing on Sunday and will be hot favourites to do so when they go to Kenilworth Road to take on Luton.


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