Well, what now for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City? They desperately need to stop the rot when they face Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Pep Guardiola is in the middle of the worst spell of his managerial career. City entered the November international break having lost four on the bounce in all competitions, and their woes were compounded by a rampant Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday as the Cityzens succumbed to a stunning 4-0 home defeat.
There are myriad factors behind City’s current demise; issues that reared their ugly head during a 4-1 defeat to Sporting CP on Matchday 4 of the league phase. They sit tenth in the table as a result, but the slumping champions have a great chance to put a few things right ahead of a monster Premier League duel with Liverpool on Sunday.
Feyenoord have been up-and-down this term, especially in Europe. They’ve won two of their four games, but they failed to build on an impressive away victory over Benfica as they were beaten 3-1 at home by the previously point-less RB Salzburg last time out.
The Dutch outfit have lost just once in the Eredivisie, but four draws means they sit fourth in the table and with a mere outside chance of competing with the likes of PSV Eindhoven and Ajax for the title.
Rodri’s absence has been hard-felt amid City’s recent rut, and although the Ballon d’Or winner holds out hope of returning before the season draws to a close, he remains sidelined for the foreseeable future. Oscar Bobb and Mateo Kovacic are also absent, while Ruben Dias is unlikely to play on Tuesday due to a calf injury.
Jeremy Doku could return to the matchday squad after a spell out, while Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish, used substitutes on Saturday, should come into Guardiola’s XI.
Nathan Ake could offer Josko Gvardiol some respite in City’s defence.
