Manchester City are wounded but history suggests they will respond | OneFootball

After their 4-1 defeat to Sporting in their UEFA Champions League match on Tuesday evening there is no doubt that Manchester City are currently wounded. The world champions have now lost three consecutive games in all competitions. But what has stood out is that each performance has gotten progressively worse across those three games against Tottenham, Bournemouth and Sporting. But history does suggest that City will respond. We have seen it before with Pep Guardiola’s side.

This isn’t unfamiliar territory for Manchester City. Last season in November the champions fell to Newcastle, Wolves and Arsenal in quick succession. Those defeats did raise the question if Manchester City’s era of dominance was coming to an end. After the champions lifted their fourth consecutive Premier League title at the end of last season the answer to that question was no. Currently, City finds themselves in a similar position to last season, albeit in a different set of circumstances.

Injuries have decimated Pep Guardiola’s squad. Heading into City’s Premier League clash with Brighton at the Amex Stadium five key players will be out. Oscar Bobb, Rodri, Jack Grealish, Ruben Dias and John Stones will all miss the match. There are fitness concerns over a host of other key players in Pep Guardiola’s squad. But that is all part of the game. Injuries, fitness issues and dips in form happen in every season. How a team overcomes those circumstances defines what they achieve as a team. As we have seen in previous seasons Manchester City have been down this road before. It is of matter of when they’ll respond not if they’ll respond if history is any guide.

This weekend’s Premier League clash with Brighton is the perfect time for Manchester City to respond. If they can they will head into the international break with a much needed circuit breaker after a tough week. One thing is certain that Pep Guardiola’s side will be working hard to turn their form around. Erling Haaland’s tweet on X indicates just that.