Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has openly admitted that his team needs to be stronger defensively, warning that the issues shown in the last two matches cannot be ignored. City hosts Sunderland this Saturday in the 15th round of the Premier League, just days before their crucial trip to Madrid to face Real in the Champions League.
The reigning champions have secured back-to-back league wins against Leeds and Fulham, but they have conceded a total of six goals—two in the 3–2 win over the Whites and four in the dramatic 5–4 victory against Fulham.
In the press conference, Guardiola expressed clear dissatisfaction:
“We have to improve, that’s for sure. I don’t like conceding six goals in two games. We will talk about it today, maybe even tomorrow morning. We have to work on what we can do better and be stronger. I have rewatched the games and I know what we need to do,” the Spanish manager said.
Guardiola emphasized that the match against Fulham is now behind them, but the lessons must be taken seriously:
“Of course, I am concerned about some things, and we have to learn why we are conceding goals. I have great respect for Marco Silva, and I know scoring five goals there is not easy. Losing certain moments is part of the process, and we have to accept that.”
Manchester City will aim to take advantage of Saturday’s match against Sunderland to increase pressure on Arsenal, who visit Aston Villa in a difficult away game this weekend. Currently, City sits five points behind the league leaders. After the Premier League clash, Guardiola’s squad will travel to Madrid for the Champions League showdown against Real.
