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Guardiola acknowledged that the injury crisis that has plagued the side has taken its toll on the results of the champions, but stated that they weren’t far behind the teams above them.
Pep Guardiola. (X)
Premier League champions Manchester City welcome surprise package Nottingham Forest in their PL clash at Etihad midweek, after having suffered a defeat at the hands of table-toppers Liverpool on Sunday.
City slipped to the fifth spot in the PL table following their loss at Anfield and have been a far cry from their menacing best this season and are on a woeful winless streak of seven games across all competitions.
Pep Guardiola, who led the side to an unprecedented treble a couple of years again and topped it with a fourth PL title on the bounce last year, acknowledged that the injury crisis that has plagued the side has taken its toll on the results of the champions.
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“With all the squad this season, we’ll be close to the level that we reached last season,” the Spaniard said.
Arsenal and Chelsea stand second and third in the table, separated only by goal difference, behind Liverpool, while Brighton leapfrogged City to the fourth spot.
However, Guardiola stated that they weren’t far behind the teams above them and that he saw encouraging signs in the defeat to Liverpool.
“I would say we are not far away from the team second in the Premier League,” the 53-year-old said.
“But always it’s the way you play, the consistency you have in the boxes, and many things that give you the positive thoughts of what is going to happen in future,” he elaborated.
Guardiola opted to field Stefan Ortega in goal against Liverpool, but backed the team’s mainstay keeper Ederson as the side’s number one despite the change in the crucial fixture. But did not rule out the chances of handing another start to 32-year-old Ortega.
“Ederson number one, Stefan number two. But maybe Stefan continues. We’ll see tomorrow and the next games,” Guardiola added.
Guardiola rallied the club’s fans to get behind the team amid the testing phase the champions have been experiencing.
“Many, many good moments we’ve lived together. They know that we need absolute support because all of us, the players especially, are human beings,” he concluded.
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