With several key players sidelined, the reigning Premier League champions recently had their 32-game unbeaten league streak snapped by a loss at Bournemouth, following a midweek defeat to Tottenham in the EFL Cup. This marked City’s first back-to-back losses across all competitions since September 2023.
Guardiola acknowledged the high expectations surrounding his team but admitted that the combination of injuries and stronger competition might lead to more setbacks.
“I know our standards, but we’ve only lost one game. Maybe we’ll lose again in the Premier League against Brighton, Tottenham, or Liverpool,” Guardiola told reporters, referencing City’s next three league games.
He added, “We’re only two points behind Liverpool, a top-class team. We’ve started well in the Champions League, but I know people expect us to win every league game and take home the treble each season. But that’s tough to maintain, especially with so many absentees.”
Guardiola emphasized that winning the treble requires everything to go right, including player health, which isn’t the case this season. “The teams are stronger, and everything’s more challenging. We have to embrace that—it’s part of the challenge.”
Currently, City are missing Ballon d’Or winner Rodrigo and Oscar Bobb for much of the season, with John Stones, Jack Grealish, and Ruben Dias also sidelined and not traveling to Portugal. Meanwhile, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, and Kyle Walker are struggling with issues but remain in the squad. Kevin De Bruyne and Savinho are progressing, and Erling Haaland is fully fit.
City sits third in the Champions League group after two wins and a draw and will be aiming for their third straight European win as they face Portuguese champions Sporting CP, who also have seven points and are unbeaten this season.
Reflecting on their last meeting with Sporting, which ended in a dominant 5-0 win in the 2022 Champions League, Guardiola noted, “They play similarly to how they did two seasons ago—the pattern is clear. They’ve changed players but kept the same manager and mentality,” referring to Sporting’s Ruben Amorim, who is set to join Manchester United after the international break.
