Following Manchester City’s 2-nil defeat to Liverpool on Sunday the Manchester City players have come out publicly to acknowledge their poor run. The world champions have now gone seven games without a win in all competitions. That is unheard of for Pep Guardiola’s side. But there is an edge of defiance in the City player’s public statements. While the Manchester City players are saying the right things their words need to be matched by their actions on the pitch. That’s the only way they will emerge from their current winless run.
Since Manchester City’s defeat to Liverpool, a host of City players have come out publicly to acknowledge recent results, haven’t been up to their previous high standards. City captain Kyle Walker took to Instagram to say: “We know our recent performances haven’t been up to the standard we expect, and we’re aware it’s been tough. But we’ve been through these challenges before, together, and we’ll come through this one as well. It’s important that we all stay together as one club, as Manchester City, through this tough spell. Your support, whether in the good times or the difficult moments, means everything to us.
*We’ve won titles in the final games of the season, and we’ve made history with a record-breaking 100-point campaign, right down to the last kick. We’ve shown time and time again that we can rise to the challenge, and we will do so again. I promise you, we’ll fight until the very end.*”
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden have followed their captain’s lead.
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden took to X to acknowledge City’s poor run. You can see that the Manchester City players are hurting based on the statements Haaland and Foden put out on X. They can be seen below.
We’ve seen better days before, and we’ll see them again. We keep believing pic.twitter.com/VzrKo0ASki
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) December 2, 2024
It’s been a difficult few weeks and of course, we’re not where we want to be. But, we’ll work together and keep fighting. We go again on Wednesday 💪🏻🩵 pic.twitter.com/tWwIp5IZl5
— Phil Foden (@PhilFoden) December 2, 2024
Pep Guardiola and Ruben Dias have shown their defiance to their team’s winless run.
Pep Guardiola’s defiance to what is happening at Manchester City was clear to see at Anfield. In light of the Anfield crowd chanting you’re getting sacked in the morning, Guardiola was quick to remind the Liverpool fans of how many Premier League titles his team has won. That moment perfectly encapsulated why Pep Guardiola is the right man to lead Manchester City’s rebuild.
Speaking post-game, Ruben Dias, in an interview with Jan Aage Fjørtoft for ViaPlay City’s defensive leader, was asked if the City squad knew how to deal with their recent defeats. There was an air of defiance in his answer when he said: “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.*”
Dias and myself had a ….”moment of ….reality…” https://t.co/CZAtdpZ6dN
— Jan Aage Fjørtoft 🇳🇴 (@JanAageFjortoft) December 1, 2024
Now Manchester City’s actions on the pitch must match their words starting against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.
All of the Manchester City players are saying the right things. From Kyle Walker to Ruben Dias they are all urging the club and the fans to stick together through this tough period for Pep Guardiola’s side. It is clear to see that they are determined to fight their way back into form. That’s the only way they will come out the other side of their current seven-game winless run. The Manchester City fans will stick with their team through thick and thin. That will be on show at the Etihad on Wednesday evening when they take on Nottingham Forest.
But now the actions of the City players must match their words. If they do they will start to return to winning ways. Nottingham Forest will be another tough fixture for the world champions. They sit 6th in the Premier League table and have been impressive this season. But the time is now for Manchester City to do show their defiance on the pitch. If they do that on Wednesday evening they may quickly begin to fight their way out of the winless run they’re currently on.