Pep Guardiola baffled by Man City form: ‘We are living the parallel’

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City are labouring done the opposite of their agelong winning runs as he rued football’s parallel lives.

City were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa connected Saturday to suffer their ninth conclusion successful a 12-game spell erstwhile they person only triumphed once.

And it near head Guardiola reflecting that it has turned their accustomed shape connected its head.

“Always erstwhile we triumph a batch of games and titles I opportunity we are going to suffer games,” he said. “When we won 13 aliases 14 games aliases 10 games and we suffer 1 aliases tie 1 and it is, ‘what happened? Why you tie aliases suffer a game?’ So it is football.

“We won a lot, it was exceptional, and now we are surviving the parallel. We didn’t expect [it], I didn’t personally and I don’t cognize what will beryllium the result aft that, truthful life gives you that. We person to woody pinch it.”

Defender Rico Lewis believes City are struggling mentally erstwhile they fto successful the opening extremity successful a game, which he feels tin trigger further problems.

He explained: “When we concede it's for illustration we're not allowed to concede. As if it's not a normal point that's portion of the game.

“Everyone successful world shot concedes a extremity but because we clasp ourselves to specified precocious standards, erstwhile we concede we're truthful disappointed successful ourselves, that's erstwhile you'll spot much mistakes come.

“At the commencement of the play we conceded a fewer goals first but we conscionable bounced backmost consecutive away. That tin beryllium down to confidence, galore things, tired legs. But we request to get backmost to the measurement we want to be.”