City boss looks to turn things around against Everton
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has admitted that facing Everton on Boxing Day is not ideal as his team looks to bounce back from a poor run of form. The Citizens are currently 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool after suffering nine defeats in their last 12 matches across all competitions. Aston Villa’s defeat meant Manchester City only won one of their last 12 matches in all competitions.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Guardiola said, “They are not the perfect opponent. It is about us to come back to our best. It will take time. We have to get results as quickly as possible. We are facing Everton and they are in a good moment, their results and performances show it.”
Manchester City’s recent struggles have been compounded by injury problems, with John Stones, Matheus Nunes and Ederson all facing uncertain futures for the Everton clash. Stones was substituted at half-time in the Aston Villa defeat after a recurrence of a foot injury, his first start in a month.
Guardiola highlighted the team’s defensive issues, saying, “We have just one central defender fit, that is difficult. We don’t have a defence for the results. They are not good.”
Despite the mounting pressure, Guardiola remained optimistic, stating, “It’s about what I can do with my people to get the results back and continue. If there is a moment that I cannot overthink, it is right now. Try to be simple, stick to my principles and give certainty to the team.”
Manchester City will be hoping to turn things around against an Everton side who are currently seventh in the Premier League with 27 points from 17 games.