Gary Neville believes Manchester City have “run out of legs” and need a “full reset” after their latest defeat to Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Reigning champions City are now 20 points behind Arne Slot’s side after the 2-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
City, without the injured Erling Haaland, lacked potency and their defeat underlined their startling decline this season after winning the title for the past four seasons.
Pep Guardiola’s men remain fourth in the table, but qualification for the Champions League is now their target in the league after the Reds completed a league double over City.
Former Manchester United defender Neville told Sky Sports: “This will be painful for Man City but maybe Pep Guardiola needs it, maybe the club needs it. A full reset.
“They have been running at a million miles an hour for years, the title battles against Liverpool. But they have just run out of legs, run out of steam. They’ve grown old together.
Pep Guardiola’s side slipped to their eighth league defeat of the season
“Pep Guardiola is going to have to build a brand new title-winning team. He knows what one looks like, that’s for sure.”
Defeat to Liverpool was City’s eighth in the league so far this season.
Their worst campaign for defeats under Guardiola came back in 2019/20 when they lost nine games.
Pep: This club has a bright future
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Guardiola was pleased with Man City’s performance despite losing to Liverpool and he conceded they are far behind their rivals but said the club’s future is bright
Defeat to Liverpool was City’s eighth in the league so far this season. Their worst campaign for defeats under Guardiola came back in 2019/20 when they lost nine games.
Despite their struggles this season Guardiola is adamant City still have have a bright future.
“If you lose, you have to lose the way we lost today, “Guardiola told Sky Sports. “I saw many things that this club has a bright future with the players that we have.
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Manchester City put a sly message on the Etihad big screen to remind everyone they’re four-time champions
“Except Kevin de Bruyne and maybe Nathan Ake, all the players are so young. What the club decides next for the future, there is a bright future for this club in the next years.
“Everyone knows that a part will be here next season for the older players but we have to build for the next step. There is a question of time.
“Even with the amount of absences we have, we played well. They break the lines and can break behind you. They really threaten but we bring them there and all we missed is that in the final third, it depends on the talent to dribble or shoot in the right moment. From there, we build for the future.
“We are far away. We will see in the future. What we have done in previous seasons is good but now we are away from them.”
More to follow…
