Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says his side’s four-game losing streak is the club’s way of punishing itself over the 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play rules.
Guardiola fell to a fourth successive defeat for the first time as City boss after Brighton came from behind to beat the champions 2-1 at the Amex Stadium on Saturday night.
It is the first time in City’s 16-year history that they have lost four games in a row.
While many will have attributed City’s losing streak to an uncharacteristic dip in form, Guardiola set the record straight by admitting the defeats are a deliberate act of repentance.
‘You seriously think we lost against Tottenham because they are better than us at football? No!’, the Spaniard told Paddy Power News while wagging his finger.
‘We allowed them to beat us because we are feeling guilty about being a big bunch of cheating b******s.
‘If the Premier League don’t have the balls to punish us then we must do it ourselves.
‘So, the lads, we all say, ‘let’s lose every game and get relegated to the Championship’.
‘Lose to Tottenham because they are better at football. Ha!’.
BERN, SWITZERLAND – OCTOBER 25: Manchester City Head Coach Pep Guardiola walks in the field during the UEFA Champions League Group Stage match between BSC Young Boys and Manchester City at Stadion Wankdorf on October 25, 2023 in Bern, Switzerland. (Photo by Marcio Machado//Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
However, the former Barcelona boss denied rumours than he replaced Norwegian striker Erling Haaland at half-time with Gary Barlow’s son.
‘No, Erling was just sh*te’, he said.
In related news, Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher admitted he briefly considered cancelling next summer’s reunion gigs after City’s recent spate of defeats.
‘Ever since we announced the Oasis reunion City have started playing like they did in the 90s’, Gallagher told Paddy Power News.
‘In the second half at Brighton I thought I was watching old footage of us playing in League One.
‘To be fair, Gerard Wiekens and Andy Morrison would have defended those Brighton goals better than John Stones and Ruben Dias did’, added the 57-year-old Brit Pop pioneer.
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