**Manchester City’s Ruben Dias issued a spiky response to questions over how the club handles defeats, questioning whether the reporter knew who he was speaking to.**
The Premier League champions made it seven games without a victory on Sunday afternoon as Liverpool moved 11 points clear of Manchester City via a largely comfortable 2-0 win at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s side are likely to be the main challengers to the Premier League title this season and their excellent form across competitions was further stressed against Manchester City, with very little to show in terms of clear chances from the visitors.
However, many within Manchester City’s first-team camp have pointed towards the positives from their performances as they look to emerge from a difficult run in their season with hope for the rest of the campaign and potential success at the end of it.
Speaking to international media after City’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, Ruben Dias was keen to insist that the focus had immediately shifted away from the Merseyside outing upon the full-time whistle.
“Well, our analysis (of the defeat to Liverpool) is easy right now: We have Nottingham (Forest), we want to win, and that’s what’s on our mind,” Dias said. “The only thing in our minds right now is that we want to win against Nottingham.”
He continued, “Today the team showed a lot of character. Obviously, with the moment, it’s not difficult to come here, always a difficult stadium to visit, and the team showed a lot of character. So Nottingham is on our mind now.”
When asked how Manchester City as a squad knows how to deal with defeats, Dias hit back, “You know you’re talking to one player of one of the teams in the world that has won the most in recent years? So maybe have a think about that and be sure we know how to deal with it.”
“These are the ones everyone wants to play, these are the ones we will always remember, and these difficult circumstances – for the stadium itself, and also for the moment we’re going through – and this is when you see the warriors you have next to you.”
Ruben Dias and Manchester City will be wanting to end their torrid seven game winless streak immediately with plenty more mammoth tests on the horizon across December alone, including a trip to Juventus in the UEFA Champions League.
Nottingham Forest are the next challenge for the four-time successive Premier League champions as Nuno Espirito Santo’s men travel to the Etihad Stadium for a midweek clash on Wednesday night.