Manchester City continue to decline, suffering another defeat this week, losing 2-1 to Aston Villa at Villa Park.This defeat places the team in a difficult situation, as City have now won only one of their last 12 official matches in all competitions, including nine defeats.
In light of this worrying situation, Pep Guardiola is facing severe criticism, as he continues to justify the negative results by pointing to player absences, despite the team facing deeper, underlying challenges.
However, the British press forced the Spanish coach to provide a more candid assessment of the situation. Guardiola said:
“Of course, there are other reasons. They score goals against us that they have never scored before, and we are not scoring goals as we used to. Football is not just about one reason; there are many factors. Aston Villa are a strong team in both the Premier League and the Champions League, and this is not an easy place to play. Last season, we won the Premier League, but we lost here. We have to stay positive, and I have a lot of confidence in these young players.”
For his part, Erling Haaland tried to defend his coach, Pep Guardiola, but his words were rather cautious, indicating that: “Our confidence levels are not the best, and we know how important that is. We have to continue and remain positive despite the difficulty of the situation. He will find solutions, as he always has. We still believe in him. We need to work harder than ever.”
However, Haaland’s statements could carry indirect implications regarding his future at Manchester City. Haaland has begun to feel that his time at the club may be coming to an end, especially given his belief that his performance has been affected under Guardiola, who sees him primarily as “goal-driven,” according to English sources.
Speculation about Haaland’s future is increasing, with confirmation that the player harbors a desire to play for Real Madrid at some point in his career. This ambition remains strong, especially in light of the €150 million release clause in his contract that applies to non-English clubs.
These details are not hidden from Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and general manager José Angel Sánchez, who are closely monitoring developments, particularly in light of potential investigations into Manchester City’s financial and economic irregularities.