'We need help' - Guardiola targets January & says 'no chance' of title

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City "need help" during the January transportation model aft admitting his broadside person "no chance" of winning the Premier League rubric this season.

The City brag celebrated 500 games successful complaint of the nine with a nervy 2-0 triumph implicit Leicester connected Sunday.

City's triumph - conscionable their 2nd successful their past 10 Premier League games - lifts them up to fifth, but they are 14 points down leaders Liverpool.

"We are acold distant from winning the Premier League," Guardiola told BBC's Match of the Day.

"We judge there's already nary accidental of that but we person different things to combat for: FA Cup, apical four... and winning games helps."

City person won six of the past 7 Premier League titles, but earlier the triumph implicit Leicester, the nine had won conscionable 1 of their erstwhile 13 league games - losing nine.

Guardiola admitted helium was relieved to extremity a five-game winless run.

"Just relief, that is the connection to explicit however each of america feel," helium said.

"We person done unthinkable things and present we conflict to triumph games truthful present it's conscionable relief."

Guardiola believes injuries are the superior crushed down City's mediocre signifier but says determination are areas the nine request to people successful the upcoming transportation window.

"In immoderate positions we request help," Guardiola said.

"When we're each unneurotic we're the squad we were but with important players retired for weeks and months it's truthful difficult."

Ballon d'Or-winning midfielder Rodri is retired for the play with a genu injury, portion Ruben Dias, John Stones, Ederson, Oscar Bobb and Matheus Nunes besides missed the Leicester game.

Guardiola added: "I thought cardinal defenders would beryllium acceptable each play but we person struggled - holding midfield and cardinal defenders we request help.

"The marketplace is the marketplace - it's not easy, it's costly truthful we volition spot what the nine tin do."

The scoreline astatine King Power Stadium connected Sunday does not archer the afloat story.

Against a lively Leicester side, Manchester City were inactive beneath par and for the archetypal clip this play they had little possession than their opponents (46.4%).

It is conscionable the 14th clip Guardiola's broadside person had little possession during his 323-game reign successful the Premier League.

"It was not the perfect show but hopefully the victories volition springiness our temper a amended position," Guardiola said.

"We didn't person capable vigor to prolong 90 minutes but hopefully successful the caller twelvemonth we tin bounce backmost a spot from a atrocious moment."

The stats besides amusement City are lacking the strength we person go accustomed to seeing successful Guardiola's teams.

Against Leicester, the nine won possession successful the last 3rd conscionable twice. Last season, City nicked possession successful the last 3rd 7.5 times connected mean per game.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville told Sky Sports: "They got the triumph and the cleanable expanse but it has been a conflict for them.

"To ticker them contiguous it is inactive unusual, you're not getting carried away."