It's still difficult to imagine, but somehow Man City's struggles keep getting worse. Now, Pep Guardiola has said what many fans have been thinking—the team needs new players this January. After scraping a 2-0 win against Leicester City, Guardiola opened up about his team's troubles. City are now stuck in fifth place, watching Liverpool pull 14 points ahead at the top of the Premier League.
"In some positions we need help," Guardiola said, making it clear that Manchester City’s January transfers are top priority. "When we're all together we're the team we were, but with important players out for weeks and months it's so difficult."
Injuries Hit City Hard as Season Takes Its Toll
The City injury crisis seems to be working in some kind of divine timing. At least, for opposition clubs. Star midfielder Rodri is out for the whole season with a bad knee injury, leaving a huge gap in the middle of the park. Things aren't looking much better at the back either, with both Ruben Dias and John Stones sidelined. To make matters worse, goalkeeper Ederson and midfielders Oscar Bobb and Matheus Nunes couldn't play against Leicester either.
Manchester City's squad depth has taken such a hit that Guardiola is now desperately looking for backup in defense. "I thought central defenders would be fit all season but we have struggled - holding midfield and central defenders we need help," he said. But he knows it won't be easy to find the right players, adding that "The market is the market - it's not easy, it's expensive so we will see what the club can do."
No More Talk of Winning the League
Is it possible that the Pep Guardiola Premier League era could be coming to an end? The City boss seems to have already thrown in the towel on defending their title. "We are far away from winning the Premier League," he told BBC's Match of the Day straight up. "We accept there's already no chance of that but we have other things to fight for: FA Cup, top four... and winning games helps."
When you look at the numbers, you understand better. City have only won twice in their last ten league games. That doesn't sound like their usual dominant form at all. Even when you look at the Leicester game, City had the ball less than their opponents for just the 14th time in Guardiola's 323 Premier League matches.
Wrapping Up
Even though Guardiola just hit his 500th game as City's manager, he's more worried about getting the team back on track than celebrating. "Hopefully the new year can help us bounce back," he said. "It is not enjoyable right now, it is just relief. We have done incredible things for many years. It is not the best."
With January just around the corner, City fans will be watching closely to see who their club brings in to help turn things around.