Pep Guardiola has admitted his sleep has been disrupted amid Manchester City’s growing crisis, following a stunning loss in the Manchester derby.
Despite leading 1-0 through Josko Gvardiol’s 36th-minute header, Guardiola seemed unsettled, his reaction to the goal marked by a sense of frustration over the deflected nature of the cross rather than a sense of triumph.
Guardiola appeared visibly on edge, sitting alone with his eyes closed and sipping from a water bottle as the second half approached.
However, City’s lead slipped away in dramatic fashion, with Manchester United staging a late comeback that left Guardiola and his players in disbelief.
In the 88th minute, a mistake from Matheus Nunes allowed Amad Diallo to score after a penalty from Bruno Fernandes. Just two minutes later, a long ball from Lisandro Martinez exposed City’s defense, with goalkeeper Ederson out of position, allowing Diallo to net again from a tight angle.
This marked the latest point in a game where a reigning Premier League champion had led and then lost, a painful first for City under Guardiola.
And in a sign of City’s previous excellence that is now being challenged, they have only lost four of 105 Premier League home games under Guardiola in which they have been ahead at half-time, winning 94 and drawing seven.
Guardiola delivered a brutal self-analysis as he told Match of the Day: “I am not good enough. I am the boss. I am the manager. I have to find solutions and so far I haven’t. That’s the reality.
“Not much else to say. No defence. Manchester United was incredibly persistent. We have not lost eight games in two seasons. We can’t defend that.”
