Man City Can’t Afford More Slip-Ups in Title Chase, Guardiola Warns

Pep Guardiola has cautioned that Manchester City have almost no margin for error if they hope to stay alive in the Premier League title race.

City’s 2–1 defeat to Newcastle last weekend — their fourth league loss of the season — has left the defending champions seven points adrift of leaders Arsenal, who have dropped points just once in 12 matches.

“We cannot lose games, absolutely — that is the truth,” Guardiola said on Friday.
“They are so strong and winning games… They are so solid, like we had in the past with Liverpool against us, and they were not going to drop many points. That’s why you have to be up there and this is what we will try to do.”

Reflecting on the Newcastle defeat, Guardiola insisted the performance had been encouraging despite the result.
“We made a really good game, we created more in Newcastle than previous seasons and it was quite good, but we lost. Now we have to regain our momentum to start winning games and being there because there is still so long in the season.”

City also suffered a 2–0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Wednesday, a match in which Guardiola rotated heavily, making 10 changes.

He criticised his players’ mindset in Germany.
“We didn’t try. In football when you play on the green you have to try things and we didn’t try,” he said.
“They played not to make mistakes, not to play to do something… In football you have to play offensive and you have to try. They played to be safe.”

Guardiola suggested the squad lacked belief in that game.
“I have a lot of confidence in them… I have a huge value in what they are as football players, and that maybe is higher than (they have) themselves.”

Some players attempted to lift the Etihad crowd during the Leverkusen match, but Guardiola said he understood the muted reaction.
“As a fan I would not cheer my team, playing in the way we played. I don’t blame (them), I blame myself… If you do what you have to do, they are there, and this is what you have to try to do.”

City face struggling Leeds on Saturday and will once again be without midfielder Rodri, though Guardiola confirmed the Spaniard “will be back soon.”

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