Guardiola comes out fighting as Man City hit 'dark place'

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has travel retired warring arsenic helium contemplates his side's worst series of results since 2018.

The 4-1 Champions League defeat by Sporting successful Lisbon was City’s 3rd nonaccomplishment successful a row.

Only erstwhile during Guardiola’s reign person City mislaid 3 times successful a enactment successful a azygous season.

Although helium rejected skipper Bernardo Silva’s post-match assertion that the nine is presently successful a "dark place", Guardiola besides accepted aft a decision of this size, words are mostly meaningless.

However, helium is not backing distant from the challenge.

"We knew it would beryllium a pugnacious play astatine the start," helium said. "I similar it. I emotion it. I privation to look it and assistance my players.

"I won’t springiness up, that’s for sure."

Few volition person sympathy with City implicit their existent wounded issues.

Guardiola’s determination to manus a archetypal commencement to FA Youth Cup-winning skipper Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, a time aft his 19th day and little than a week aft his elder debut, underlined the issues helium is dealing with successful cardinal defence.

Neither John Stones nor Ruben Dias made the trip, portion Nathan Ake remained connected the substitutes seat throughout.

Rico Lewis played astatine right-back successful the lack of skipper Kyle Walker and Kevin de Bruyne was lone risked for the last six minutes.

Defensive midfielder Rodri is, of course, retired for the season.

Guardiola says the existent acquisition feels similar his debut run successful 2016-17, erstwhile City struggled for consistency and were 5th aft a 4-0 decision astatine Everton successful January earlier embarking connected a tally of 1 nonaccomplishment successful 17 league games, which yet led them to decorativeness successful 3rd spot.

"It happened successful my archetypal year," helium said. "Sometimes it does.

"I person to effort to find an mentation but sometimes it's conscionable shot truthful you person to judge it. Sport is that. Life is that. Sometimes we person atrocious moments but we look the reality.

"Everyone has to effort to beryllium amended and we volition find it. We are inactive live successful each competitions and we continue."

City person different pugnacious distant travel to Brighton connected Saturday.

It is not wholly wide who Guardiola volition person disposable but helium volition beryllium hopeless to debar a 4th consecutive reverse.

For Silva, it is simply a pugnacious time.

"It's hard to find the reasons wherefore what is happening to america now," helium said. "In 7 and a fractional seasons, I don't retrieve 3 successful a row.

"We're successful a acheronian place. Everything looks to beryllium going the incorrect way.

"The bully happening is adjacent though we mislaid 3 games we're successful bully positions successful the Premier League and Champions League. We're inactive warring for everything, but we request to bash better. It's conscionable not bully capable astatine the minute."

City are 2nd successful the Premier League, 2 points down leaders Liverpool but 4 wide of third-placed Nottingham Forest and sixth successful the expanded Champions League table.

However, they are apt to driblet extracurricular the apical 8 erstwhile the 2nd acceptable of matches successful the 4th circular of fixtures are played.

Nevertheless, astatine slightest they are competing, dissimilar Manchester United, which Guardiola pointed retired erstwhile helium was asked astir the imaginable of coming up against Ruben Amorim erstwhile helium moves successful astatine Old Trafford adjacent week.

"Yes, helium volition beryllium United manager and we volition look him 2 times successful the Premier League and possibly the FA Cup. In the Champions League it is not possible."

Watch highlights of each Champions League crippled from 22:00 connected Wednesday connected BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

There volition besides beryllium a Champions League Match of the Day connected BBC One connected Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.