Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that his team failed to play at their best during their 2-1 Premier League defeat to rivals Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The defending champions took the lead in the first half through a Joško Gvardiol header, but United staged a late comeback with second-half goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo, securing victory for Ruben Amorim’s side.
Reflecting on the match during his post-match press conference, Guardiola expressed disappointment with his team’s performance, noting their recent struggles in maintaining their usual fluidity.
“This year, many times, it’s happened. We give away many things, like against Feyenoord. We are not nice in the way we play. It was so fluid before, and now we struggle for different reasons,” Guardiola said.
He acknowledged that his players gave their all but conceded that lapses in key moments led to their downfall.
“We put everything in the game and it was almost closed except for one chance from Bruno. Nothing special. We gave away the two goals. It is what it is. What can I say? It’s a tough season,” he added.
Guardiola also admitted that the team’s struggles in certain positions have affected their overall performance.
“We didn’t play our best because in some positions we are not at our best,” he concluded.
