Guardiola Admits Defensive Fragility After Tottenham Loss

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has opened up about his team’s defensive struggles following their crushing 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium.

The loss, City’s worst under Guardiola, exposed glaring weaknesses in their backline as they failed to cope with Tottenham’s attacking duo of James Maddison and Son Heung-Min. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Guardiola candidly admitted his side’s vulnerabilities.

“At this moment, we are fragile defensively,” the City boss acknowledged. “We started really well, as we usually do, but we couldn’t score. Then we conceded, and it affected our emotions.”

The defeat marked an unprecedented slump for Guardiola, who has never endured such a poor run in his eight years at the club. Reflecting on this rare challenge, he said: “In eight years, we have never been in this kind of situation. Now, we have to live through it and work to break it by winning the next games.”

City will aim to rebound quickly when they face Feyenoord in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, with Guardiola hopeful that a win could shift the team’s momentum and bring back their usual defensive stability