Pep Guardiola explains what ‘solution’ is needed to end Manchester City’s poor run of form after latest loss at Aston Villa

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola addressed a potential solution after his team suffered another defeat in the Premier League. Aston Villa secured a 2-1 victory at Villa Park, with goals in either half from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers, before Phil Foden netted a late consolation goal.

Guardiola certainly finds himself under mounting pressure, with just one win in 11 games. The situation worsened further when Unai Emery’s side dealt another blow to City’s hopes of competing for the Premier League title alongside Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

Once again, City’s defense faltered in transition, allowing Duran to score in the 16th minute. Although they appeared to regain composure after the early setback, a brilliant strike from Rogers (65') effectively put the game to bed. Foden’s goal in the third minute of stoppage time, his first Premier League goal of the season, came too late to influence the outcome.

After the game, Guardiola appeared visibly frustrated but insisted that City could return to their best only if the injured players recovered.

"The solution is bring the players back. We have just one central defender that I would say is fit, and that is more difficult," he said (via City Xtra on X)

The reigning Premier League champions have faced numerous fitness issues, particularly defenders. Ruben Dias was the latest to be sidelined for a few weeks with a muscle injury, while John Stones, who had only recently returned from an injury, was substituted at halftime against Villa due to a recurring problem.

Despite these challenges, Guardiola expressed confidence in his players and believes that they can soon regain their form.

"I have incredible trust in these guys, some of them have incredible pride and the desire to do it, and we have to, I have to find a way to sooner or later, step by step, come back,” he added.

Results have not favored Guardiola’s men over the past month, leaving them with just 27 points from their first 17 games. They currently sit sixth in the table, trailing Liverpool by nine points, who have two games in hand over City.

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Pep Guardiola highlights Manchester City’s issue against Aston Villa

The match at Villa Park followed a familiar pattern for Manchester City in recent weeks. While they dominated possession, their defensive frailties were evident even early on.

After Aston Villa scored, they sat back and invited pressure, but surprisingly, Guardiola’s side struggled to find a way. The Spaniard admitted that his team, though creating a few threatening moments, was not effective enough off the ball, particularly in the second half.

"In the mid-block they [Villa] are so strong. We have good moments, we had chances, more chances than in the [Manchester] United game, but in the second half we dropped and our pressing was not good enough. We struggled a little bit and we could not drop them well. We found a goal in the end, but too late. We struggle to score and we concede goals," he said (via NBC Sports).

The Citizens now have a five-day break before gearing up for two home games during the festive period. They face Everton first on December 26 before traveling to Leicester on December 29. Manchester City will conclude their festive fixtures with a clash against West Ham United on January 4.