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Pep Guardiola said his Man City side were “fragile”, while they were also labelled “weak” and “frail” after surrendering a 3-0 Champions League lead against Feyenoord at Etihad Stadium.
Instead of heading to Liverpool on the back of a morale-boosting win, the defending Premier League champions face their title rivals at Anfield on Sunday with more questions about their defending after having to settle for a 3-3 draw.
City have now conceded two or more goals in six successive matches in all competitions for the first time since May 1963.
Not only that, but they seem to have forgotten how to win – even from the most commanding positions.
When Erling Haaland slid in to put them 3-0 up in the 53rd minute against Feyenoord, the hosts looked well on course to return to winning ways after five straight defeats.
Yet the 2023 European Cup winners inexplicably managed to throw away two points and were booed off the pitch at full time.
“They look weak, they look light, they look frail,” said former England captain Alan Shearer, who was at Etihad Stadium for Amazon Prime.
“Even with two minutes to go and 3-2 up, they take a quick free-kick. Why? Kill the game. They were in such a comfortable position.”
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Guardiola shows strain of winless run
Guardiola was visibly frustrated with his side for throwing away their three-goal lead.
The former Barcelona manager had several scratch marks on his forehead during his post-match interview with broadcaster Amazon Prime.
Asked by reporters during his news conference about a mark on his nose, Guardiola said: “I cut it with my finger, my nail.”
Guardiola then said that he wanted to “hurt himself” because of another disappointing result, before laughing and leaving the news conference.
City have not kept a clean sheet since 26 October, when they last tasted victory in a narrow 1-0 win over struggling Southampton.
Since then they have leaked 17 goals in six matches, an astonishing statistic considering their success under Guardiola has been built on solid defensive foundations.
“I don’t know if it is a mental thing,” said Guardiola.
“The game was fine at 3-0, playing good, but then we concede a lot of goals because we were not stable. We gave them the first and then the other one, that is why it was difficult.
“The situation is what it is. We played a good game but at that level we can’t give them away.”
City have work to do if they are to avoid an unwanted two-legged play-off in February to progress to the last 16.
They have to finish in the top eight to earn an automatic passage into the knockout stage but sit 15th after Tuesday’s game. They could fall even lower after Wednesday’s matches.
City face two testing games at Juventus on 11 December and Paris St-Germain on 22 January next in the competition before hosting Club Brugge on 29 January.
“Right now I am not ready to think about that [needing to win their final three games to finish top eight],” added Guardiola.
“We have to recover and prepare for the next game. If we are not able to win games like we did today it is difficult to do it.”
City missing ‘vocal leader’
Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol cost £77m when he joined City from RB Leipzig in August 2023.
He struggled in the 4-0 home defeat by Tottenham at the weekend and on Tuesday was at fault for Feyenoord’s first and second goals.
Gvardiol horribly misplaced a backpass which allowed Anis Hadj Moussa to nip in and round Ederson to score Feyenoord’s first goal.
Ordinarily that would have been a mere consolation and City would have closed out the game, but Gvardiol had another moment to forget eight minutes from time.
Again he gave the ball away and Feyenoord pounced. The ball was lofted into the box and Jordan Lotomba fired a shot that glanced the post and deflected across goal, where substitute Santiago Gimenez chested in.
“It was a comical defensive error from Josko Gvardiol that allowed Feyenoord back into the game and they capitulated,” former England winger Andros Townsend told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“We have never seen defensive frailties like this from Manchester City before. It seems to be popping up in every single game they’ve played recently.
“They were cruising. In the end, all that hard work from City is undone, and the pressure now mounts even more ahead of the Premier League game against Liverpool.”
Former Manchester City player Gael Clichy said Guardiola’s side are missing a “vocal” leader in the team.
“You cannot continue making individual mistakes,” Clichy told Amazon Prime.
“That has happened in the last six matches. They are missing a vocal leader. A strong leader at the back.”
Guardiola added: “Gvardiol will learn. He was the best player on the pitch but I will be so wrong if I point a specific thing at him.
“He is a fantastic player, fantastic boy and more than ever must be helped.”
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