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Manchester City players still believe in manager Pep Guardiola, says striker Phil Foden after rivals Manchester United extended their dismal run.
Guardiola, 53, has won the Premier League four times in a row, but Sunday’s derby defeat left City fifth in the standings and nine points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game less than their title rivals.
Amad Diallo’s second goal meant that Guardiola accumulated eight defeats in his last 11 games.
“We’re still nowhere near our level, but I still believe we’re playing well enough to get points and results,” Foden said.
“It’s about staying focused for the 90 minutes, but we disconnect in the important moments. We just need to focus correctly.
“We stick together, regroup and believe in ourselves after what we have achieved in the past.
“We continue to believe in the process and in the coach; I am sure that if we do this we will win again and return to our level.”
Guardiola signed a new contract until 2027 during a poor run that began with Tottenham’s Carabao Cup exit on October 30.
How are Manchester City changing their form? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/vYVlxvAGfH
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 16, 2024
That defeat means they now have a free midweek to reflect and refresh ahead of Saturday’s tough Premier League trip to Aston Villa.
“I can’t put my finger on what’s happening,” Foden said after the United defeat.
“I thought the performance was more than enough to get the result, but we came away with no points and it seems to be the same story at the moment. We just have to stick together.
“The dressing room is obviously going to be depressed and sad at the moment, but we can’t think too much about this, we have to try to pick ourselves up.
“In football there is always another opportunity to correct things.”
City’s trip to Villa at the weekend is followed by a Boxing Day match at home against Everton before closing out 2024 at Leicester.
“It’s about keeping our mentality strong for the 90 minutes and we’re not doing that at the moment,” Foden said.
“We have to start again and show character to recover from this problem.
“This is not the time to complain, it’s about staying united, staying strong and moving forward. “I’m sure we’ll come back.”
