Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola looked back on the stunning 4-0 home defeat by Tottenham and delivered a simple truth.
“We have to accept the reality and break it,” he said.
Given he began his post-match news conference by saying “when you lose 4-0 there is not much to say” before offering his congratulations to Spurs on their biggest away win at City, Guardiola then spent quite a bit of time talking about it.
How, after so much success over such a long period of time, “a dip” was inevitable.
How “little details” were the cause of major problems, due in part, but not exclusively, to the number of injuries his side are struggling to cope with.
How his belief in the players has not been shaken because of all they have achieved for him.
But also how he will not ignore the reality of five successive defeats, something he has never experienced as a manager and City as a club last went through in 2006, when Stuart Pearce was in charge.
Nether can he ignore that Liverpool would move eight points clear with a win at Southampton on Sunday – with a meeting with City at Anfield next up.
“In eight years we never lived this. I knew sooner or later we would drop. I never expected to lose three Premier League games in a row but we have been incredibly consistent again and again and again. Now we cannot deny the reality that sometimes happens in football and life is here.
” How bad is it for Man City?
City’s current run represents the longest losing streak of Guardiola’s managerial career, and their worst since 2006 under Stuart Pearce
This is the first time City have lost three successive Premier League games under Guardiola
Guardiola had never previously lost a home league game by four goals in his managerial career
This is the joint-biggest defeat for Guardiola as a manager. He also lost 4-0 to Everton in 2017 and Barcelona in the Champions League in 2016 – and with Bayern Munich against Real Madrid in 2014
Saturday’s reverse is City’s heaviest defeat at Etihad Stadium
City are the first reigning top-flight champions to lose five games in a row in all competitions since Chelsea in March 1956
This was City’s worst home league defeat since a 5-1 loss to Arsenal in 2003
It was also the earliest City have been 2-0 down in a Premier League home game since December 2010 (19th minute v Everton)
Guardiola has now lost to Tottenham more often than any other opponent (9).
This was just the third time a team has won away against the reigning Premier League champions by four or more goals.
City had 23 shots in this game to no avail, their most in a Premier League game they failed to score in since a 2-0 loss to Manchester United in March 2021.
