Pep: 'Fragile' City in uncharted territory

MANCHESTER, England — It started as an evening of celebration for Manchester City. It ended with the four-time defending Premier League champion conceding four goals and falling to a fifth-straight loss in all competitions, as it faces a deepening crisis in a season that is threatening to unravel.

A 4-0 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday left City five points behind league leader Liverpool, having played a game more, and with manager Pep Guardiola questioning whether he can get its title challenge back on track.

"I would say when you lose three Premier League (games) in a row, the wrong thing to say is we are going to be champion," Guardiola said. "But, the reality is here, we have to do it guys. We have to break (the run), start to win games."

Two goals from James Maddison inside 20 minutes at the Etihad Stadium stunned the home crowd, which had been treated to a light show before kickoff to mark midfielder Rodri winning the Ballon d'Or award for the best soccer player in the world.

With Guardiola also having signed a two-year contract extension last week, there was double reason to celebrate. But, City's latest loss highlighted on-field problems that he is struggling to stop. Pedro Porro scored a third for Tottenham after halftime and substitute Brennan Johnson added a fourth in the third minute of stoppage time.

The defeat extended Guardiola's worst losing streak in a glittering coaching career at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.

Defeat meant the end of City's 52-game unbeaten home run and left it on a losing streak unlike anything else Guardiola has experienced since arriving in Manchester in 2016.

It also means the gap between it and Liverpool could possibly grow wider, as Arne Slot's side prepared to face bottom club Southampton on Sunday.

City travels to Liverpool this weekend, and Guardiola conceded its defense of the title is realistically over should it lose and fall 11 points behind the Reds.

Only last week, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss signed a two-year contract extension until 2027, but hopes that it would bring the positivity needed to turn City's fortunes around proved short-lived.

After a bright start, City collapsed when Maddison opened the scoring with Tottenham's first meaningful attack.

"In eight years we have never lived this kind of situation," said Guardiola, whose side faces Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday.

"Now, we have to live it and break it, winning the next games, especially the next one. Now, we see things in one way, maybe in a few weeks we will see them differently."

Guardiola's men have rewritten the record books of English soccer in recent years by winning four consecutive Premier League titles.

But, he recognized that they are stuck in a negative mental spiral after a series of unexpected defeats.

"We are a bit fragile right now, that is obvious for the fact that we struggled today to score goals. And after, when they arrived, they scored," he added.

"We are playing a little bit in our thoughts, with a little bit of negativity, but it's normal. Football is a sense of mood. And when you win a lot, there's continuity that gives the self-confidence that you can do it.

"When you lose three games in a row in the Premier League, that situation is always a little bit different."

City defender Kyle Walker said it was vital the team went "back to the basics and got a clean sheet".

He added: "If we concede four goals at home we have to score five. It's not just the back four, five or six — it's all 11 players on the pitch."

Despite a 4-1 defeat to Sporting Lisbon last time out in the Champions League, City is still well-placed to reach the knockout stages.

"The best way to turn this around is on Tuesday. Hopefully the mojo comes back and we see the normal City from the past eight seasons," added Walker.

Even in its best moments, though, City has struggled away at Anfield, where it has not won in front of a crowd since 2003.

"It's a great game to turn it around and take three points from the team who sit above you," said Walker on facing Liverpool.

"But, we can't put in a performance like that or we'll get walked over."

Rivals close in

Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton are six points behind Liverpool after taking their chances to keep the pressure on Slot's team.

Third-placed Chelsea beat Leicester 2-1 in the early kickoff and Arsenal, in fourth, won 3-0 against Nottingham Forest. Fifth-placed Brighton won 2-1 at Bournemouth to maintain its outstanding start to the season under new coach Fabian Hurzeler.

Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez put Chelsea on course for victory at King Power Stadium, with Jordan Ayew scoring for Leicester with a second-half stoppage-time penalty.

Jackson showed good close control in the box before firing Chelsea in front with a clever finish in the 15th minute. It was the Senegal striker's seventh goal in 13 appearances this season.

Fernandez headed in Chelsea's second in the 75th after Jackson's header was saved by goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. Ayew's penalty came too late for Leicester to mount a fightback.

Arteta landmark

Mikel Arteta celebrated his 250th game in charge of Arsenal in style with victory against Forest.

It was his 147th win in all competitions — more than any Arsenal manager after the same number of games. Club great Arsene Wenger won 136 of his first 250 games.

Bukayo Saka put Arsenal ahead in the 15th at the Emirates Stadium and Thomas Partey added a second seven minutes into the second half. The 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri scored his first Premier League goal for the club in the 86th.

Agencies