Guardiola admits Man City are struggling to impose style

AFP , Friday 14 Feb 2025

Pep Guardiola admitted Friday his Manchester City team are not as comfortable in possession as they used to be and that they lack the physicality to compete with their Premier League rivals.

Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola runs on the pitch during the UEFA Champions League football match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north-west England, on February 11, 2025. Photo: AFP

City have dominated English football for most of the past decade with a possession-based style that chokes opponents but they have slipped from their stellar standards this season.

The English league champions in six of the past seven years are realistically out of the title race, though they are in fifth spot, just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

City also face an uphill battle to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League after conceding two late goals against Real Madrid in a 3-2 defeat in the knockout phase play-offs on Tuesday.

Guardiola told reporters ahead of Saturday's tough match against Newcastle that City's problems were multi-faceted.

"It's everything, it's not one," he said. "(If) it's one subject, it will be easy to solve it.

"We have been so comfortable with the ball and now we are not as comfortable when we have the ball and after, when it doesn't happen, we have to make use of our physicality and our physicality is not like other teams."

He added: "We know the league makes a step forward with all the teams and we make some step backwards compared with previous seasons."

Guardiola said Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji would be out for up to 10 weeks after suffering a muscle injury against Real.

"(He will undergo) surgery on Saturday (and will be) eight to 10 weeks out," said the City boss, praising Akanji's "unbelievable efforts" during a defensive crisis this season. "In the end the body said 'enough is enough'," he said.

Midfielder Jack Grealish, who had to go off in the first half against Real, is also a doubt.

"It's not as tough as what Manu has done but I don't know how he will be tomorrow," said Guardiola. "I don't think so but we'll see, we'll assess in the next few hours."

New midfield signing Nico Gonzalez could be in contention to face Newcastle after suffering a knock against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup last weekend.

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