Pep Guardiola loses fourth straight for first time in his profession as Liverpool extends EPL lead

Manchester Metropolis has by no means had it this dangerous underneath Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola has by no means had it this dangerous in his managerial profession.

A way of disaster is looming over the champions of England after they misplaced a fourth straight recreation in all competitions, 2-1 at Brighton, and slipped 5 factors behind Liverpool within the Premier League on Saturday. Liverpool beat Aston Villa 2-0 because of targets by Darwin Núñez and Mohamed Salah.

Second-placed Metropolis hasn’t misplaced 4 video games in a row since 2006 — two years earlier than the Abu Dhabi takeover of the membership and 10 years earlier than Guardiola’s game-changing arrival on the blue facet of Manchester.

As for Guardiola, extensively thought to be the world’s greatest coach, he has by no means misplaced 4 straight matches wherever in his illustrious time in administration that started in 2007.

The closest he has come was within the 2014-15 season when, at Bayern Munich, his workforce misplaced in a penalty shootout within the German Cup adopted by three straight defeats — two within the Bundesliga, when Bayern had already clinched the title, and as soon as within the Champions League.

So, Guardiola was requested, is that this the tip of the period, after main Metropolis to an unprecedented 4 straight top-flight league titles?

“It is what the folks need, proper?” he posed. “That is regular — we received rather a lot. I might identical to to have all of the squad (accessible).”

That will not be taking place anytime quickly contemplating star heart midfielder Rodri, this yr’s Ballon d’Or winner, is out for the season with an ACL damage. Guardiola additionally had his greatest 4 heart backs — Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake — unavailable, whereas playmaker Kevin De Bruyne is clearly not sharp or match sufficient on his return from damage.

“Once we play dangerous, I’m the primary to say, ‘Oh, oh, I do not prefer it.’ However I haven’t got that feeling,” Guardiola stated.

Certainly, Metropolis was dominant within the first half and went in entrance when Erling Haaland scored his league-leading twelfth purpose of the marketing campaign.

Nonetheless, like within the 4-1 loss at Sporting within the Champions League on Tuesday, Metropolis could not maintain its degree within the second half and Brighton fought again, with Joao Pedro equalizing within the 78th and establishing Matt O’Riley for the winner within the 83rd on his Premier League debut.

Metropolis’s shedding run began at Tottenham within the English League Cup final week, earlier than a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth within the league — its first league defeat in 11 months.

For Guardiola, it is easy. Metropolis’s squad can’t address all its accidents whereas the fixtures are coming thick and quick.

“We can’t do it each three days, three days, 4 days, three days with the (damage) scenario we’ve got,” he stated, including with an air of desperation, “I might like to have the gamers (again).”

Metropolis’s subsequent recreation is after the worldwide break, at dwelling to Tottenham within the league.

Salah evokes Liverpool

Liverpool has received 9 of its 11 league video games in a wide ranging begin underneath new supervisor Arne Slot, who has bought Salah taking part in in high type.

Salah arrange Nunez after a quick breakaway within the twentieth minute and scored himself on one other counterattack within the 84th for his tenth purpose of the season.

“In case you requested me earlier than the season began, I might not say we had been candidates,” Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister stated about his workforce’s title probabilities, “however now it appears like (we’re).”

Liverpool proper again Trent Alexander-Arnold went off with a suspected hamstring damage within the first half.

Reporting by The Related Press.

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