Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City lost 4-0 to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday night, signaling the fifth successive defeat in all competitions, an unprecedented occurrence for the Spanish manager. Guardiola acknowledged in his post-match press conference that while everyone claims to have the answers to solve their problems, it simply came down to a lack of desire:
“When you lose 4-0, all the comments ‘you were missing this, you were missing that’, it can be true. But I don’t feel that at 1-0 we reacted like we wanted it really badly. At 3-0, that was our best moments until the last moment we conceded the fourth. I think the team was good — they created the chances to win but unfortunately, we could not do it.”
Guardiola spoke with calmness during his press conference — a departure from the usual frustration he exhibits following such a defeat. A 4-0 thrashing against a team that is not expected to win any trophies this season, especially at home, will do nothing to calm the nerves at the Etihad. His team has had a lot of notable injuries this season, especially Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who is a pivotal member of the squad but is out for the rest of the season. Defenders John Stones and Ruben Dias have also struggled to stay fit.
City was widely expected to win the Premier League this season and is currently in second place 8 points behind league leaders Liverpool, who they play next weekend. The title showdown will be an opportunity for City to get back on winning track. Before that, they play Feyenoord in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.
“One day we’re going to win a game and our mind will be clear. I hope that will happen on Tuesday, if not Sunday. The desire is there and we’re going to try,” said Guardiola.
This is not necessarily uncharted waters for City. In the 2022/23 Premier League season, Arsenal led City by 8 points, the same gap that Liverpool holds over City today. Around March, Arsenal’s combination of injuries and poor form allowed City to reduce their lead and eventually become Premier League champions that season. There is still plenty of football left to be played now, and if there is any manager and team in the Premier League who you would bet to make a strong comeback, it is Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
The difference this time is that Rodri isn’t available to shore up their midfield and defense. City will have the luxury of the January transfer window to sign more players to help their campaign, with Spanish defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi widely rumored to sign with the Blues to fill the midfield void. However, would he agree to join for 6 months and then likely not have a starting role after?
Guardiola recently signed a new contract extension with City, guaranteeing he stays until the end of next season with an option to extend for another year. Guardiola revolutionized the Premier League with his style of play, and there will be little doubt that he will invent a creative and effective solution to get back to winning ways. In the aforementioned 22/23 season, Guardiola went from his trusty four-at-the-back formation and switched to a 3-4-3, which sent them on a winning streak.
But whatever that solution may be, it is clear that there is a severe lack of hunger at Manchester City at this moment. A loss at Liverpool next weekend would mean a gap of 11 points. In a modern Premier League that requires you to be almost perfect every single week, it may prove to be an insurmountable task for City.
