Pep Guardiola acknowledges that Premier League rivals will likely find amusement in Manchester City's recent poor run of form, during which the champions suffered five consecutive defeats across all competitions. As his team prepares to travel to Liverpool, they are experiencing their worst spell under the Spaniard. City managed to halt this losing streak with a dramatic collapse against Feyenoord in midweek, surrendering a three-goal lead in the final 20 minutes to draw their Champions League match. They now face Anfield, a venue where they have only won three times since 1956, trailing the league leaders by eight points.
When asked if he believes other teams are relishing City's recent struggles, Guardiola responded: “It's normal in sport for others to mock and laugh at your defeats. That's just the way it is. At least there's respect. There's no violence or anything like that. It's part of the beauty of football that people can laugh at you when things aren't going well.” The absence of the injured Ballon d'Or winner Rodri has been a significant factor in City's inability to win since their victory over bottom-placed Southampton on October 26. Guardiola has spent weeks attempting to turn things around and lift the team's spirits. “I don't enjoy it at all, I don't like it,” he admitted. “I don't sleep as well as when I was winning every game. I'm the same person who won four Premier Leagues in a row, and in this situation, I have the same doubts. Now, I want to be closer to the players because I know they are suffering. I know they are thinking, ‘Oh God, how were we not able to win that game against Feyenoord?’ Or, ‘Why didn't we score when we had the chance against Spurs?’ They are suffering. What can I do, blame them? Absolutely not.”
Guardiola recently signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him at City until the end of the 2026-27 season, which, if completed, would mark 11 full seasons at the club. His previous longest tenure at a single club was four seasons managing Barcelona. “If I extend, it's because I feel it,” Guardiola explained. “I'm not here just because of what I've done; it's because I'm happy and still want to try. I don't want to stay in a place where I feel I'm a problem. I don't want to stay just because the contract is there. My chairman knows this. And I told him, ‘Give me the chance to try to come back, especially when everyone is back from injury, and see what happens.’”
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