Pep Guardiola confronted the cameras after Manchester Metropolis’s stunning 4-0 defeat to Tottenham, and his phrases struck a chord: “We’ve got to just accept the fact and break it.” It was a second of uncooked honesty, acknowledging a historic tough patch for each Guardiola and his workforce. 5 straight losses, accidents piling up, and the workforce’s confidence shaken—what’s happening on the Etihad?
A Dip Was Inevitable
After years of dominating the Premier League, Guardiola admitted {that a} drop was sure to occur. However shedding 5 matches in a row? That’s an entire totally different ball recreation. Not since Stuart Pearce’s reign in 2006 have Metropolis suffered such a streak. Guardiola’s by no means seen something prefer it both.
He didn’t sugarcoat it. He’s feeling the sting of Liverpool probably pulling eight factors clear. With a visit to Anfield looming, the stakes couldn’t be increased.
“In eight years, we by no means lived this,” Guardiola mentioned. “Typically soccer and life slap you within the face.”
How Dangerous Is It, Actually?
The stats don’t lie, they usually’re brutal:
That is Guardiola’s worst shedding streak.
Metropolis’s heaviest house loss since a 5-1 defeat to Arsenal in 2003.
First reigning champs to lose 5 in a row since Chelsea in 1956.
Metropolis had 23 photographs in opposition to Spurs however failed to search out the web—one thing that hasn’t occurred since 2021. Much more regarding? They’ve conceded a median of 1.25 objectives per recreation this season, in comparison with 0.79 final yr.
What’s Behind the Struggles?
It’s a mixture of components, and none of them are small potatoes:
Counterattacks Are Killing Them
Metropolis’s being hit on the break greater than ever—1.17 counter photographs per recreation, nearly double their earlier excessive. 4 of Spurs’ second-half possibilities got here from lightning-fast counters.
Lacking Rodri Is Big
Rodri, arguably the most effective defensive midfielder on the earth, is a large miss. Metropolis wins 78% of video games with him however solely 50% with out him. That’s a jaw-dropping distinction.
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An Ageing Squad
Over half of Metropolis’s league minutes this season have come from gamers aged 29 or older—the very best within the league. Legs are getting heavier, and it’s displaying.
The Numbers Are Grim
Metropolis’s objectives have plummeted from 2.3 per recreation to only 0.8 throughout this shedding streak. In the meantime, their objectives conceded have tripled. Even their often hermetic protection is leaking, with opponents discovering better-quality possibilities.
Fragility and Frustration
Guardiola didn’t maintain again in his post-match interview. “We’re fragile proper now,” he mentioned. “We’ve misplaced our management and don’t do effectively in box-to-box conditions. It’s not what we’re constructed for.”
Soccer’s a recreation of confidence, and Metropolis’s is clearly in brief provide.
The pundits didn’t mince phrases both. Alan Shearer pointed to defensive disarray and an absence of urgent throughout the pitch. Micah Richards referred to as it “terrible,” saying Metropolis lacked vitality and conviction.
Jamie Redknapp labeled them “too straightforward to play in opposition to.” In the meantime, Gary Neville mentioned it was a “sobering day” for the reigning champs.
Is the Title Race Over?
Liverpool’s win in opposition to Southampton might depart Metropolis trailing by 11 factors earlier than their Anfield conflict. Guardiola admitted that if that hole opens up, it’ll be almost not possible to claw again.
For a workforce used to successful every thing, that is uncharted territory. “If we don’t win, it’s as a result of we don’t deserve it,” Guardiola mentioned.
