‘We’re struggling a bit’

Man City players wear a dejected look after their loss to Aston Villa on Wednesday. Pics/Getty Images, AFP

Pep Guardiola admits "struggling" Manchester City's unexpected stumble in the Premier League title race has left him searching for solutions to the champions' problems.

Pep Guardiola

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Guardiola's side crashed to a lacklustre 0-1 defeat at Aston Villa on Wednesday as their winless run in the league extended to four matches. Villa, who have now won 14 league games in a row at Villa Park, scored the only goal of the game in the 74th minute, when Leon Bailey's shot took a huge deflection off Ruben Dias.

Villa's Leon Bailey (centre) celebrates his goal against Man City

City are languishing in fourth place, six points behind leaders Arsenal and four adrift of second-placed Liverpool. After successive draws with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham raised alarm bells about City's title prospects, Guardiola had defiantly claimed this week that his team would definitely win the Premier League. But the Spaniard changed his tune after Villa rocked the treble winners with the kind of dynamic display that has been City's trademark throughout Guardiola's reign. "It is my duty, it is my job to find a way to come back. Many years now we are together and we are able to find a way to win games," Guardiola said.

"We know what's our level and as a manager we have to find a way to win. We're struggling a bit. I'm here to help them. We didn't have the feeling that we are going to do something and we missed it. We have to accept it when a team is better and recognise it," he added.

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