Just one win in 12 games now for Man City after falling to a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, putting more pressure on Pep Guardiola.
Glorious scenes at Villa Park, where the home fans are lapping this up. Amadou Onana punches the air in delight, Pep Guardiola has his head bowed as he makes his way off the pitch after showing his appreciation to the travelling fans.
The result sees Man City sitting 6th in the Premier League with 27 points from 17 games played while for Villa, they are a place above them in 5th with 28 points from the same about of games played.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola speaking to TNT Sports: “We make a really good first half, second half we dropped. We changed our pressing for the reason John [Stones] could not continue. Congratulations Aston Villa and keep going.”
On whether Stones couldn’t continue because of his previous injury: “Yeah.”
On Aston Villa: “I would not say no. In the mid-block they are so strong. We have good moments, we had chances, more chances than in the [Manchester] United game, but in the second half we dropped and our pressing was not good enough. We struggled a little bit and we could not drop them well. We found a goal in the end, but too late.
“We struggle to score and we concede goals.”
On Phil Foden: “The last one or two games, he has been better. Most of the players have had problems. Sometimes the next season is not the same, the people change and the situation changes. Today we made a really good game.”
On getting confidence back: “Step by step, we have nice personalities in the team and sooner or later we are going to find it.”
On whether he has to change his approach: “Yeah. I have to do it. Back my players, that is what will be different.”
Guardiola speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “We played a really good first half, and the second half we dropped, we were not good. The tempo as the game goes on is a bit more difficult. Congratulations Aston Villa on the victory.”
On whether he thinks City will find results: “Yeah. It can come, it can not come. It depends on us. The solution is bring the players back. We have just one central defender fit, that is difficult. We are going to try next game – another opportunity and we don’t think much further than that.”
On whether there are deeper reasons for poor results other than injuries: “Of course there are more reasons. We concede the goals we don’t concede in the past, we [don’t] score the goals we score in the past. Football is not just one reason. There are a lot of little factors.
“Aston Villa are a team that are doing well in the Champions League, Premier League as well. It is a tough place to come. Last season we won the Premier League, but we came here and lost. We have to think positive and I have incredible trust in the guys. Some of them have incredible pride and desire to do it. We have to find a way, step by step, sooner or later to find a way back.”
“We struggle to score and we concede goals” 😳
Pep Guardiola gives @julesbreach his analysis on Man City’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa…
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/eTiBhWdZgf
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 21, 2024
Man City striker Erling Haaland speaking to TNT Sports on what was said in the dressing room after their defeat by Aston Villa: “It’s a couple of minutes since the game, so not a lot. But of course we are disappointed, it’s not good enough. It’s not good enough from me.”
On Aston Villa: “They’re good players, it’s difficult to come here but we’re Man City we should be out there. We have to continue, we have to believe and we have to keep working hard.
“We have to continue. First I’m looking at myself, I haven’t been doing things good enough, I haven’t been scoring my chances. I have to do better, I haven’t been good enough.”
On confidence levels: “Of course, not the best. We know how important confidence is and you can see that it affects every human being. That is how it is, we have to continue and stay positive even though it is difficult.”
On Pep Guardiola: “He won the Premier League six times in seven years, so we will never forget that. He will find the solutions. He has been doing that every single year. We still believe in him, we have to work harder than ever right now.”
On what Guardiola said to him in the tunnel: “It’s the small details, I don’t remember right now. I’m thinking we just lost a game, another one. I don’t remember but it was probably some small instructions to do things better.”
“I haven’t been good enough”
Erling Haaland gives @julesbreach an honest reflection on how he’s performing at the moment and how Man City move forward… 💪
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/sp64Io8fLI
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 21, 2024
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery speaking to TNT Sports: “Always we are trying to be positive, in some matches we are maybe not performing as we want, but today we perform. We are feeling strong, here we played the first half very well, in the second half we kept possession more and getting in the box to score the second goal, we imposed and dominated more.”
On balancing game time for Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran: “We are in the process with the players, keeping their consistency of playing. Jhon Duran today played fantastic, Watkins is fantastic as well, very important for us. Of course you have to work with both strikers, sometimes they play together. I am very happy with them.
On Morgan Rogers: “He played fantastic today, he is very important. Through him we are getting the performance back because he links strikers with midfielder and wingers. Today he was fantastic in the second half, connecting with strikers and scoring the goals. He has to add goals to his numbers, and today he was fantastic.”
Unai Emery speaking to BBC Sport: “We played 90 minutes in the way we were expecting. They were imposing and dominant in the first half, more than we wanted. Then in the second half we dominated more, avoiding their press, I think we played better. The second half we were playing with confidence, we imposed and we decided to win through domination of them.”
“Progressively we are getting better” 🙌
Unai Emery gives his thoughts on Aston Villa’s 2-1 win over Man City…
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/dxSqd7dzOu
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 21, 2024
Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans speaking to BBC Sport: “We played really well, some really good football, and defended when we needed to.”
On his pass before the first goal: “I saw the space and just tried to pass it as good as I could, so I’m really happy about it. I was a bit freer in the role my manager asked me to play in. The fact we were on the ball more meant we could play our game.
“It’s always calculating the risk if you want to stay on the ball and be brave. But today we really deserved the win, we showed we can play good football.”
On Manchester City’s poor form: “I’m not here to make the headlines, they are a really good side and you have to be aware of their threat. They are on a bad run, I’m sure they will get out of it”.
Rogers, speaking to TNT Sports: “We knew it was going to be difficult. They have not had results, but we knew they were going to come firing.
“We knew we needed a reaction in the same way as they did.
“To a man I thought we were outstanding and I think we deserved the win.
“I try to thrive in big games and I want to show what I am about – it is nice to perform in the big games.
“Sometimes I will do the hard bit and then struggle to find that bit of quality and have that composure.
“This season I have squandered a few chances that I would have liked to score.”
On Man City: “It felt tougher than it probably looked. They make you work and it is so demanding out of possession.
“We knew we had to be on it from start to finish. On the counter-attack we were good and that’s probably why we won the game.”
On Unai Emery’s influence: “Everyday he pushes me, he doesn’t let me have a second off.
“He wants the best for me and that’s perfect for me. We have a good working relationship, I am not the only one he has improved. I want to keep going on that trajectory and see where it takes me.”
On momentum: “We had a run of tough games and we didn’t play to the standard that we liked and juggling the new competition [Champions League] was a new challenge.”
Twitter users gave their thought with it now just one win in 12 games now for Man City after falling to defeat at Aston Villa…
@FHG10VTID: Get in. Course we didn’t get the clean sheet but big 3 points
@KingEightyOne: Hugely solid performance and more importantly, another 3 big points on the board. So many quality performances in the squad today, especially the midfield link ups, which should now be the benchmark for all individuals going forward! Let’s take this into boxing day #avfc #utv
@MrPJLinton: Tielemans was outstanding again today, proper midfielder, puts the graft in, works hard for his teammates, box to box, but most of all brings real quality to our squad. #JackWho #DouglasWho? #UTFV
@EndeeFootball: City’s defence is an absolute shambles – 1 win in 12 is embarrassing for a team of this quality. Haaland has gone missing for weeks and just can’t turn games around when it matters. Pep’s never faced a run like this before. Serious questions need answering. Appalling.
@JoeCleary1: Most complete performance of the season, balanced, controlled, limited any chances and always looked a threat at the other end with quality individual performances also .. that little diamond three in the middle might be the answer! Merry Christmas 🎅 #UTV
@McNaughtJEJ: What a day! Villa Outstanding to a man, but wow! Youri Tielemans was different gravy, superb in all he did, unreal vision, composure, the lot, that midfield was immense, great result, should of been 4 or 5 tbf, need to maintain this momentum over this period #UTV 👊🏻🟣🔵
@FrankieMaguire: Jhon Durán’s all round play has come on massively since last season. Consistently held the ball up & chose the right pass today. Closed down City’s players. And, as he always does, scored a goal. Keep this going & you wonder how far he can go in football. #avfc #utv 🟣🔵
@in2thesurf: Best performance of the season so far. The stupid last five minutes against Forest aside, the last four/five games have seen us look a lot more like the fluid/organised team of last season. Shame about the clean sheet. #AVLMCI #AVFC #UTV
Never. Doubt. The. Man. In. The. Picture!
We were even better than last year – dominated domination dominance! They didn’t lay a glove on us at; their goal was a mistake, as Ally McCoist prophecised, & we ran rings around them time & again 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💜💙#avfc pic.twitter.com/j0sNz5f9p6
— Jon Hayes (@jonboy_avfc) December 21, 2024
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