Manchester City: Boss Pep Guardiola admits “they are struggling” after shock 0-1 loss to Aston Villa, down to fourth spot behind Villa

Manchester City have suffered one of the upsets this season as they have lost a crunch tie against the high-class tactics of Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, where Leon Bailey’s strike at the final quarter broke City fans’ hearts, in a game which promised too much, but ended in a dismal performance from the defending champions.

Aston Villa defeats Manchester City

Aston Villa have created history last night when they stunned Premier League defending champions Manchester City at Villa Park, after a sublime performance from the side which has overwhelmed its supporters with their classy tactics coupled with the strict vigil of their boss Unai Emery, who seemed to have weaved his magic wand after taking charge. But what has surprised football fans most is that Villa surpassed City on the Premier League standings, with the Villans taking the third spot with 10 victories, compared to City’s nine victories.

In a game where Manchester City’s firepower seemed to have been doomed and nullified by Emery masterclass, Aston Villa had hit 22 shots in total, compared to City, who hit 2 shots on target, from a side which has Haaland, Foden ,Grealish and Doku among many other legends. The treble winners from last season and the most consistent team over the years, led by the legendary Pep Guardiola, have been winless in their last four matches, and are currently trailing League leaders Arsenal by six points, who have once again showed their class when Declan Rice scored a last-minute winner in a thrilling 4-3 victory against a sturdy Luton Town side.

Leon Bailey’s 74th minute deflected shot gave the hosts a deserving lead, before proceeding to maintain the score line. With this defeat, City have dropped behind Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa, as they have an uphill task in their hands to drag the champions out of this situation. After the game, City boss Pep was heard saying that they “are struggling”, as former Arsenal defender Martin Keown believes that the champions are in a “mini-crisis”.

Defense under fire?

After their loss against Villa last night, City might have registered some unwanted numbers through their history. For the first time since 2017, City have gone without four wins in the League, having drawn with Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham, before last night’s result. They have conceded 17 goals in first 15 games for the first time in a decade, since 2009-10 season, when they finished fifth.

They have had only two shots on target, Pep’s worst record in his stellar managerial career spanning 535 games, and to add to their woes, they have lost all four of their games when Rodri has not played this season. Concluding from this statement, is Rodri Pep’s lucky charm?

But, a great team like Manchester City should never be written off at any juncture of the season. In their 2018-19 title winning season under Pep, after 19 games, they were 10 points off the top spot, but still went on to win the title with 98 points to their name.

Guardiola looking for “solutions”

After their unprecedented loss to Villa, Pep was heard speaking about looking for the perfect answers to this problem, as he said, “We struggled, especially in the first half and the second was completely different. In the final third, the quality of the pass and the movement, we didn’t find it all game.”

He further added, “We know what’s our level and as a manager we have to find a way to win games. We’re struggling a bit. I’m here to help them.”

Several football pundits have made themselves hear after the game, as former City legend Gael Clichy said Amazon Prime, “City played one of the worst games we’ve seen from them. There was no fluidity, they were lucky not to concede two, maybe three or four.” Former Aston Villa defender Andy Townsend was heard saying to Amazon Prime, “I don’t think Guardiola has seen his side outmaneuvered and outworked as much as he has tonight. Villa have dominated Manchester City.”

City are bound to make an inspiring comeback owing to their might, but at what point does this arrive is what Pep need to find out.