Pep Guardiola has taken full responsibility for Manchester City’s shocking collapse over the weekend, following their defeat to arch-rivals Manchester United. Despite initially taking the lead through Josko Gvardiol’s header, City fell apart late in the game. A penalty from United captain Bruno Fernandes, after Matheus Nunes’ clumsy foul on Amad, brought the scores level. Moments later, the Ivorian secured United’s victory with a decisive goal, handing City their eighth defeat in 11 matches across all competitions.
After the match, Guardiola refrained from blaming his players, instead pointing the finger at himself for the team’s poor performance. He admitted, “Not much to say. No defence, they were incredibly persistent. We haven’t lost eight games in two seasons before. We can’t defend that. It’s not about any individual player.
“We conceded goals—it’s our fault. We lacked composure, and the results reflect that. The performance wasn’t exceptional. I understand the situation, but this is the reality.
“In the box, you have to be careful. It’s not about Matheus [Nunes]—he actually played well in an unfamiliar role at full-back. But that’s not the issue; we simply have to play better. Right now, we’re not at our best. The only way forward is to keep going.
“I’m not good enough. As the manager, it’s my responsibility to find solutions, and so far, I haven’t succeeded. That’s the reality. We want to improve, to create chances, but at the moment, it’s not happening.”
City’s title defence is now in serious jeopardy, as they sit fifth in the Premier League table, nine points behind leaders Liverpool, having played an extra game.
While Guardiola took the blame, Bernardo Silva did not hold back in criticizing his teammates. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said, “We got what we deserved. At this level, one or two bad games might be unlucky, but after 10 games, it’s not about luck anymore.
“Winning 1-0 in the 87th minute of a derby, and our corner leads to a penalty for them—if you make such stupid decisions with only a few minutes left, you deserve to lose.
“Looking at the match, we were the only team that looked likely to win, but we threw it away. And it’s not just one game—it’s been happening a lot lately. We need to take a hard look at ourselves. This isn’t bad luck; it’s about the decisions we’re making. Today, in the final minutes, we played like under-15s.”
Leave a Reply