Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insisted he still retains an “incredible trust” that results will improve for his side after their poor run of form extended following their 2-1 loss to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers stunned City to their ninth loss in 12 games in all competitions – a form which has seen them win just one game in as many matches too.
The result helped Villa leap above the reigning champions to fifth on the table, while Guardiola’s side are sixth and could drop to as low as ninth at the weekend.
City’s awful form has seen them drop 24 points before even getting to the halfway mark of the season. They dropped 23 points in total last season.
“We have to think positive and I have incredible trust in the guys,” Guardiola said to TNT Sports.
“Some of them have incredible pride and desire to do it. We have to find a way, step by step, sooner or later to find a way back.”
The Spanish manager also gave his players two days off this week to clear their heads, saying the team’s poor performance is “now all in our minds.”
Although their expressions at Villa Park on Saturday gave out a picture of collective frustration, Guardiola said he believes they will get their confidence back “step-by-step”.
“We have nice personalities in the team and sooner or later we are going to find it,” he added.
The Cityzens’ poacher Erling Haaland also said the team backs Guardiola, for whom this run is the worst in what has been brilliant managerial career.
“He won the Premier League six times in seven years, so we will never forget that,” Haaland said in an interview to TNT.
“He will find the solutions. He has been doing that every single year. We still believe in him, we have to work harder than ever right now.”
Haaland, who was the Premier League’s top scorer for the previous two seasons, has found the back of the net on just two occasions in their last eight league games. He shared his sentiments on the situation, pointing the finger squarely at himself.
“First I’m looking at myself, I haven’t been scoring my chances,” the Norwegian continued. “I have to do better, I haven’t been good enough.”
