Man City ‘playing a little bit in our thoughts’ – Pep Guardiola

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Pep Guardiola urged his "fragile" Manchester City team to face the truth and end a surprising streak of five consecutive losses, as Tottenham took advantage at the Etihad Stadium.

The current champions' chances of achieving an unmatched fifth consecutive Premier League title are fading as they keep struggling.

Following last month's loss to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup, Ange Postecoglou's team weathered an early onslaught to deliver a stunning 4-0 defeat to the stunned home team on Saturday.

The city's incredible record of 52 consecutive home games without a loss in all competitions came to an end as James Maddison scored twice in the first half, followed by goals from Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson in the second half.

"When you lose 0-4, there's really nothing more to add—you just have to give credit to Tottenham," said Guardiola, whose contract extension until 2026 was revealed just two days before this heavy defeat.

"We had some difficulty retrieving the balls. We didn't manage to win them or execute the follow-up actions, but overall, our performance while handling the ball was fairly good."

"We generated plenty of opportunities and had numerous chances in front of the goalkeeper. It's clear that we are somewhat vulnerable at the moment. We found it difficult to find the back of the net, and when we finally did, they managed to score as well."

"We're just toying with some ideas and experiencing a bit of negative thinking, but that's completely normal."

"Football is all about emotions, and experiencing a series of victories boosts your confidence and makes you feel capable. However, when you face three consecutive losses in the Premier League, it brings about a different feeling. A lot can change in that scenario."

"We need to embrace our achievements, as they boost our positivity and confidence. It's essential for us to take this step."

"However, after being here for eight years, I realized that eventually, we would face a decline."

"I didn't think I would witness us losing three consecutive Premier League matches, but our performance has been remarkably steady time and again. Now, we must face the reality that setbacks can occur in both football and life."

"We need to make every effort to improve, especially for the future, but the unique situation we experienced over the past eight years won't last forever. There will be times when we fall short."

Guardiola emphasizes that City cannot avoid their problems and must confront them directly as they prepare to face Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday, followed by a match against league leaders Liverpool next Sunday.

This is the toughest stretch of the City manager's coaching career, but he is confident that things will get better once players are back. However, he dismissed any discussions about the title following this most recent defeat.

Guardiola remarked, "I believe it's completely misguided to claim you’ll be champions after losing three consecutive matches."

"I trust these guys; I believe they will return. If I ever doubt them, that's a reflection of my own issues."

"I might not measure up to returning to those circumstances, but we’ll see what happens. Regardless, I've been a football player."

"What we've accomplished in the past is remarkable, but it’s possible to lose three Premier League matches consecutively. I experienced that myself with Barcelona in LaLiga."

"Right now, everything seems to be working against us. When we're feeling confident, the outcomes tend to be positive, but at the moment, it's quite the contrary. We need to address this quickly and come to terms with it."

"The most effective approach to handling the situation is to acknowledge the truth. It's not about you, me, the weather, or the conditions of the field; we need to focus on beginning to win games."

"Now you see just how challenging our achievement really is. Things could always be tougher, but when you told me that if you manage to win 10, 11, 12, or even 13 consecutive games, you would feel confident about winning before the match, I'm not so sure about that."

"We're taking the time to rest and recharge, and on Tuesday, we need to be back here. Fingers crossed, we'll turn things around."