Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reacted to the club’s shock home loss to cross-city rivals, Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday, MySportDab reports.
City have grappled with a perplexing and alarming drop-off this season but no one expected a hastily-assembled Ruben Amorim’s Man United squad, struggling with mixed fortunes, to pull it through at Etihad.
If the stats were to go by, the Blue side of Manchester, under the watch of Guardiola, have exercised absolute dominance over the Red Devils recently.
They had only lost one of their last five meetings against the Old Trafford club, clearing five with prim and proper wins.
Moreover, hosting the cross-city rivals at Etihad was an added advantage. And of course it wasn’t long before the game seemed to have taken its predestined course.
Josko Gvardiol latched on a deflected cross by De Bruyne to nod the hosts into the lead. However, it would take a dramatic late two minutes for United to turn things around.
Bruno Fernandes’ 88th-minute spot-kick goal and Amad Diallo’s regulation-time strike sealed a dramatic comeback for the Red Devils – the most unlikely victory if I would say.
Reacting to the loss, Pep Guardiola blamed himself in the post-match interview. The Spaniard, who has now lost 8 of his 11 matches in all competitions, said the team is struggling because he hasn’t done enough.
“I am the boss. I am manager. I have to find a solution. I am not good enough”.
“It is simple at that. I am not doing well, that is the truth,” Fabrizio Romano quotes.
Guardiola would be obviously stunned by how it has turned out for his side this season. However, he will hope to return the team to winning ways when they take on Aston Villa in the next game on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Meanwhile, United will hope to continue on winning ways when they travel to take on Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup quarterfinal on Thursday, December 19, 2024.
