Guardiola is going through the worst streak of his career

Manchester City continues to be immersed in an unprecedented crisis under the direction of Pep Guardiola, who has now accumulated four consecutive defeats, something he had never experienced in his illustrious career as a coach. Since the absence of Rodri, a key piece in Guardiola’s scheme, the ‘citizen’ team has lost solidity and balance in the center of the field, a lack that it has not been able to cover and that seems to be the trigger for its current slump. Meanwhile, Liverpool remain unstoppable, extending their lead in the Premier League to five points after beating Aston Villa by two goals.

This time, the fall occurred at the American Express Stadium, where Brighton, after being behind on the scoreboard, managed to come back and sign a 2-1 draw that unleashed even more doubts and pressure on Guardiola and his team. City began with control of possession and the initiative in the game, scoring an early goal from Erling Haaland after a precise pass from Mateo Kovacic in the 22nd minute. Haaland’s goal, his twelfth this Premier League season, It seemed to end the losing streak, but it was a mirage. From then on, Brighton responded with intensity, taking advantage of the defensive fragility of Guardiola’s team in the final stages.

Rodri’s loss was especially noticeable in the second half, when Brighton, confident in their high pressing, began to gain meters and put City in serious trouble. Without the Spaniard in contention, Guardiola’s team showed an unusual vulnerability that Brighton did not hesitate to take advantage of. Unlike the first half, City barely generated any danger, while Brighton dominated the game and created constant chances, especially through Mitoma’s wing, who rose without any opposition and overwhelmed the visiting defense.

In the 78th minute, Joao Pedro tied the game after capitalizing on an error in the City defence, and just five minutes later, O’Riley completed the comeback with a goal after a through ball from Pedro, which unsettled the defense. After a second half with no shots on goal, Guardiola’s men tried to react in the final minutes, but their efforts were in vain. Although Haaland and Foden had near post opportunities, neither managed to avoid defeat.

The defeat against Brighton not only represents City’s fourth consecutive defeat, but also a crisis of confidence in the squad. Without Rodri, Guardiola has not found a player who controls the timing of the game or provides the defensive stability that the Spaniard brings in the midfield. This dependency has left City exposed, with a defense that has also had to improvise in the face of losses, including the appearance of the young Simpson-Pusey in the central axis.

This series of defeats has left Manchester City in a delicate position. The elimination in the League Cup against Tottenham, the defeat against Bournemouth in the Premier, and the defeat suffered in the Champions League against Sporting de Portugal set off alarms in the club, which now sees how its dependence on Erling Haaland increases. becomes more evident, while Phil Foden, MVP of the Premier League last season, is not performing at the expected level.

Liverpool takes advantage of it

This bad streak has not only affected the team emotionally, but has also had a direct impact on the Premier League, where Liverpool has taken the opportunity to extend its advantage to five points over Manchester City, dealing an important blow in the fight for the title. In the match at Anfield against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, who was celebrating his hundredth game with the team, both clubs arrived with many aspirations, but Klopp’s team did not fail to impose their dominance.

In the first half, Liverpool took the lead with a goal from Darwin Núñez after a corner taken by Andrew Robertson. The team made a perfect counter and the Uruguayan managed to beat the rival goalkeeper. From there, the score stood thanks to a couple of good interventions by Kelleher against shots from Diego Carlos and Watkins. However, in the second half, the locals sought to secure the victory and achieved it with a goal from Mohamed Salah, who took advantage of a defensive error to beat Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martínez. The ‘Reds’ are going through a magical moment. Not only do they lead the Premier, but they also come from beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in the Champions League in midweek, with a hat trick from Luis Díaz, remaining at the top after winning their four games