Pep Guardiola the Manchester City manager ahead of the UEFA Champions League, League phase, Matchday 5 football match between Manchester City and Feyenoord on 26 November 2024 at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England A downtrodden-looking Pep Guardiola during his side’s Champions League clash against Feyenoord at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday evening. Picture: Conor Molloy / ProSportsImages / DPP via AFP
Image: Conor Molloy / ProSportsImages / DPP via AFP
If the appearance of Pep Guardiola is anything to go by, Manchester City are indeed at their lowest following their late collapse against Feyenoord in their 3-3 Champions League draw at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday evening.
It was the first time City failed to win a game they had led by three goals since 1989, and that all happened in the final 15 minutes of the match - which was also a first in the Champions League.
The only positive was that the draw broke the five-game losing streak of the English Premier League champions.
Guardiola had a small cut on his nose following the match, and in his press conference he explained how it happened.
“With my fingers… I want to harm myself,” joked Guardiola.
Meanwhile, pundit and former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher said Man City don’t have the midfielders to get them out of this crisis.
Ballon D’Or winner Rodri, is out injured for the rest of the season, while other midfielders such as the aging Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Manuel Nunes and Matteo Kovacic (also injured), have struggled for form and consistency to fill the void left by Rodri.
Carragher was speaking on Sky Sport’s Monday Night Football when he was asked if City were in a crisis.
“It’s an awful run, if it continues I think we are talking like that [crisis],” said Carragher.
“The problems they have in the midfield, I don’t think they can fix that with the personnel they have now. I think they would have to attack the transfer market in January. But that’s a problem for them because of the situation they find themselves in, in the Premier League. Because it will put players off, coming in the middle of a season.
“The problem they have in central midfield are reminiscent of the problems Liverpool had a couple years ago when they had Jordan Henderson and Fabinho in that role. The legs are just gone. They’re getting done on the counter attack and that’s what is happening to City right now.”