The five matches that add up to Pep Guardiola’s worst run of his career
The Premier League champions are right out of form and suffered defeat to Tottenham on Sunday
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Your support makes all the difference.The worst run of Pep Guardiola’s managerial career continues after Manchester City lost a fifth successive match in all competitions.
Here, we look at the reigning Premier League champions’ shocking recent form after Saturday evening’s humiliating home loss to Tottenham.
Tottenham 2 Manchester City 1, Carabao Cup, October 30
Spurs started this run of defeats by ensuring City would not add to their four League Cup triumphs under Guardiola this season. Timo Werner and Pape Sarr scored in the first 25 minutes and although Matheus Nunes halved the deficit, City could not find a way back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Bournemouth 2 Manchester City 1, Premier League, November 2
Again City fell 2-0 behind, Evanilson’s second-half strike adding to Antoine Semenyo’s early opener. Again they got one back, thanks to defender Josko Gvardiol, but they suffered back-to-back losses for the first time in more than a year. It also ended a 32-match unbeaten run in the league.
Sporting Lisbon 4 Manchester City 1, Champions League, November 5
Ruben Amorim enjoyed a dream send-off in his final home match before leaving Sporting to take the hot-seat at City’s rivals Manchester United. The Portuguese champions bounced back from Phil Foden’s early opener in stunning fashion, with Viktor Gyokeres’ hat-trick complemented by Maxi Araujo’s effort on a jaw-dropping evening in Lisbon.
Brighton 2 Manchester City 1, Premier League, November 9
Erling Haaland bundled City in front but goals from substitutes Joao Pedro, on his return from injury, and Matt O’Riley on his Premier League debut turned the tables. As well as ensuring Guardiola’s longest losing run as a manager, it was the first time City lost a Premier League match in which Haaland has scored.
Manchester City 0 Tottenham 4, Premier League, November 23
The season reached a nadir just two days after City announced that manager Guardiola had signed a two-year extension. An evening that started with a celebration of injured Rodri’s Ballon d’Or triumph ended in an embarrassing loss, with James Maddison’s first-half brace added to early in the second half when Pedro Porro – who did not play a game for City in a three-year stint – lashed home. Substitute Brennan Johnson completed the humiliation in added time. City had never lost three consecutive Premier League matches under Guardiola before but this loss made it the club’s worst losing streak since a run of six in 2006. It was a remarkable end to City’s unbeaten 52-match run at the Etihad Stadium, which stretched back to November 2022.
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