Pep Guardiola is in a position he’s never been in before.
The Manchester City boss has overseen four successive defeats for the first time in his managerial career with the latest coming at Brighton on Saturday evening as the Blues threw away a 1-0 lead for the second match in a row. Guardiola and City now have a fortnight to reflect on their slump in form and attempt to put it right when Tottenham visit the Etihad later this month.
With a trip to Anfield to face Premier League leaders Liverpool on the horizon, City and Guardiola will want to rediscover both their form and their squad, which has been decimated by injury in recent weeks. Jeremy Doku became the latest addition having missed the trip to the Amex while Manuel Akanji was only fit enough to be on the bench and Kyle Walker wasn’t fit enough to play 90 minutes but did so anyway as injuries bite.
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Guardiola was defiant in his post match interview, insisting he will relish the fight. The City chief had marched onto the pitch when the final whistle sounded on Saturday, seeking out Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke. Guardiola was unhappy with the way the Seagulls man had acted in a late challenge with Erling Haaland which saw the Norwegian carded.
Haaland attacked a cross under close attention from van Hecke with both grappling each other as they ended up on the floor. There was a spot of handbags after and the City man picked up a booking.
Guardiola, speaking after the game about the incident, said: “He is strong with Erling, and when Erling wants to stand up he has to stand up. He cannot go to the grass. Stay strong, no? If you pull him all the game and after stay there with Erling. But he played a really good game, congratulations.”
It is not unusual for Guardiola to strike up conversations post match on the pitch, often animatedly with his own players. But it was surprising to see the City boss standing on the sidelines intently watching his side ahead of the game.
Usually he retreats to the sanctuary of the dressing room while the teams warm up but at Brighton he was taking a keen interest in what was unfolding while engaging in a deep conversation with Manel Estiarte. It was a change of tack for the Etihad chief and maybe it helped City hit the ground running.
The Blues were the better team for most of the first half, but they couldn’t maintain their standards and were undone after the break. Guardiola has plenty to ponder over the international fortnight.
