Manchester City's Ruben Dias. — Reuters
Manchester City possess the resilience to navigate through the challenging phase of form that saw the defending champions endure a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat at Liverpool on Sunday, according to defender Ruben Dias. Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah secured a 2-0 victory for leaders Liverpool at Anfield, leaving City 11 points adrift of Arne Slot's side in fifth place. City, who suffered four consecutive league losses for the first time since 2008, remain winless in their last seven matches across all competitions, a streak that includes six defeats and a 3-3 draw at home against Feyenoord in the Champions League. They have conceded 19 goals during this winless run, shipping four in matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Sporting. Prior to this slump, they had conceded 11 in 14 games.
"I will not delve into the minor details but concentrate on the broader perspective," said Dias, who was culpable in the lead-up to Liverpool's second goal. "That is, despite it being a tough period, I witnessed a lot of character and I saw the fans supporting us, and that is the only way we will overcome this." City, who have claimed six of the last seven Premier League titles, have been significantly impacted by injuries to key players such as Rodri, Mateo Kovacic, and John Stones, but manager Pep Guardiola has successfully guided the team through injury crises in previous seasons.
"This is merely a part of our legacy. We have achieved so much and yet we remain where we are, and this is bound to happen," Dias added. "We have demonstrated versatility, adapted, and continued to move forward, focusing on one game at a time... That is what we need to revert to."
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