Pep Guardiola declares that Manchester City will return despite the great fall | football news
Pep Guardiola has confidently declared that “Manchester City will be back” after a 13-game winning streak has thrown their season into disarray.
city will be hoping to rediscover his spark against Leicester on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, after another frustrating result for the ailing champions at home to Everton on Christmas Day.
At least they avoided the indignity of a tenth defeat in 13 games in all competitions, but the two points conceded left them 14 behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.
With just one win since October, it’s been a dramatic fall from grace for Guardiola’s once-beaten side.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Manchester City v Everton Premier League draw.
Guardiola said: “Since I started my career as a footballer, as a coach, I think that all of us, in our work, want to please people, we want to do our job well. This is undeniable. This is not a question mark, I would say.
“So it’s easy to understand. The biggest test when things go wrong. The biggest test I’ve ever done.
“We’ll be back and that’s what happened. But it makes me remember how good the past was. That’s the truth.
Sunday 29 December 14:00h
Start at 2:30 p.m
“Maybe I realize now what we’ve done. Because sometimes you have injuries and how many years we were so unbelievably, unbelievably consistent, you know?
“And the main, main reason is having seven, eight important players injured. And after every three days, it’s harder.
“But I see the team, the spirit, like practice yesterday (Wednesday), how focused they are on everything we’re trying to practice, like, you know, trying to do it.”
Leicester City vs Manchester City, live on Sky Sports
Manuel Akanji too remains confident in the city will turn the corner before the trip to relegation-threatened Leicester.
The Swiss international said: “We have to keep working and the next opportunity is in a few days. There is nothing more we can do at the moment. We are trying everything.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries so it’s not easy at the moment, but even now we’ll find a way and come out of it and luck will be on our side again.”
Jones Knows Prediction: No respite for Pep
Sky Sports betting expert Lewis Jones:
How bad must Leicester be if Manchester City are 1/3 with Sky Bet to win despite winning just once in their last 13 games?
Furthermore, since the start of November, Guardiola’s men have conceded 26 goals in all competitions – in that time, the only team in Europe’s top five leagues to have conceded more is FC Heidenheim 1846 (28).
It’s amazing.
However, punters are still happy to back them to win football matches at great odds, it seems.
I can leave them alone even though Leicester have faced the most shots, shots on goal and most goals conceded since December 3, which was Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first game in charge.
It has had little impact; in fact, it may be easier to score against them.
From a betting point of view, however, just keep betting against this City defense keeping a clean sheet and Leicester have scored in all but one of their 10 home games this season. Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals should go down at 4/5 with Sky Bet.
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