Man City needed reality check of winless run, says Guardiola

Manchester City’s four-match winless run has provided food for thought for manager Pep Guardiola, who said on Friday he would use the challenge of digging them out of their current predicament to prove to himself that he is a good manager.

“I think for everyone in the club, it’s good what we are living. I think it’s necessary to live that. For a long time, it was about how good we are,” Guardiola told reporters.

“Maybe we need it. It’s terrible, we’re unbeatable and we are now not able to win one game. In the big moments, I was realising that.

“Maybe for myself first, I need that challenge to prove I’m a good manager. For the players it’s a good challenge, that Aston Villa were miles away from all of us… And now we may not qualify for the Champions League next season.”