Pep Guardiola makes bold ‘not good enough’ claim following derby day defeat vs Man United

Pep Guardiola gave a brutal assessment of his Manchester City side as the champions conceded two late goals in as many minutes to rivals Manchester United in a shock defeat at the Etihad Stadium. 

In what was a largely poor standard of football from both sides, the Spaniard’s typically resilient side were unable to see the game out and capitulated in extraordinary fashion.

Manchester City looked set to pick up a crucial three points in the Manchester derby as the clock approached 90 minutes until Amad Diallo single-handedly spun the game on its head and further added to the misery for Guardiola. 

The 22-year-old winger was brought down by Matheus Nunes following the midfielder’s misplaced back pass to allow Bruno Fernandes to equalise from the spot and just two minutes later, Diallo rounded Ederson before finishing from a tight angle to claim a crucial victory for Manchester United. 

Following this defeat, Manchester City now sit in fifth place in the Premier League table, nine points behind leaders Liverpool who have a game in hand on their domestic rivals. 

Pep Guardiola takes responsibility for Man City’s substandard form

Guardiola’s personality as a manager has always been that of a charismatic figure who gives honest assessments of his side’s performances but it appeared he was taking full responsibility for their downturn in form.

In his press conference, Guardiola said: “Today we have to win. I’m the boss, I’m the manager and I’m not good enough. I have to find solutions and so far I haven’t. That’s the reality.

“We gave away goals, our fault. We don’t play with composure. The results are not good, the game was not exceptional. I know the situation, I understand but the reality is this.”

Manchester City’s title hopes all but over?

The 2-1 defeat is not only damaging in regard to title ambitions but it means that Manchester City have now lost eight of their last 11 matches in all competitions, conceding 25 times across this barren run of games. 

The poor run of form is unprecedented territory for the Spanish manager, who cut a frustrated figure on the touchline throughout Sunday’s defeat.

Guardiola added: “This year it happens many times unfortunately. We are not nice in the way we played. Before it’s so fluid, now we’re struggling for different reasons. A lot of defeats. We put everything in and the game was almost closed. We give away two goals, very difficult.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
3	ArsenalArsenal	16	8	6	2	29	15	14	30
4	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	16	8	4	4	21	19	2	28
5	Man CityManchester City	16	8	3	5	28	23	5	27
6	Aston VillaAston Villa	16	7	4	5	24	25	-1	25

“Previously we didn’t lose that many in two seasons. Now we’ve done it in eight games. You have to defend. We have lost a lot of games. It’s difficult. At the moment, we need results to lift our mood. It’s getting worse and worse. I have to find the solution.”

It does not get any easier before Christmas for the uncharacteristically struggling City side, who face a trip to Villa Park next weekend, with Unai Emery’s side able to move above Guardiola’s team with a win.