Liverpool Away: The Ideal Challenge for Cautious Man City – Pep Guardiola Might Even Relish This Experience

You may assume that a trip to Liverpool is the last thing Pep Guardiola and Manchester City desire at this point.

However, that assumption would be incorrect. This fixture—arguably the only one where few would bet on a City victory—could be just what they need.

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Following five consecutive defeats, capped by the stunning collapse from 3-0 up against Feyenoord earlier this week, City would be genuinely anxious about facing Ipswich or Leicester next.

Currently, their players seem visibly unsettled on the pitch, which is extraordinary. After years of being in command, witnessing this is surprising.

Despite achieving six titles under Guardiola, they have never succeeded in winning at Anfield in front of a hostile crowd.

In the back of their minds, those players might be thinking, “So why not now?”

A victory away at Liverpool would dramatically alter the narrative surrounding the team.

I’m confident the players will be discussing the recent challenges candidly in the locker room.

The higher the stakes in football, the more intense the locker room conversations become.

Top players reach their level because they consistently push themselves and their teammates.

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It’s not about assigning blame—it’s about being brutally honest. That’s the way to navigate out of adversity.

While there was genuine concern for Guardiola after he appeared to be very frustrated on the sidelines during Tuesday’s 3-3 Champions League draw, there’s likely a part of him reflecting, learning, and even finding enjoyment in this experience.

This is an unprecedented slump for the City manager, and it’s during times like these that you discover who you can truly rely on.

When a team is consistently winning, as City has been for nearly eight years, discussions about morale or unity are non-existent. It’s evident that City is missing Rodri; his absence does affect the team’s performance.

However, claiming that losing one player should have such a drastic impact, given their roster of world-class talent, simply doesn’t add up.

Many of the theories attempting to explain City’s downturn must be incorrect.

For instance, suggesting the team is too old doesn’t stand when they were not perceived as too old while winning a fourth consecutive title just months ago.

The reality is that they’ve had a less successful recruitment phase over the last couple of years.

Ilkay Gundogan was a club legend, but trying to bring him back after he wanted to leave felt counterproductive.

The current situation will undoubtedly be amusing to plenty within the footballing community.

Many coaches and players might be thinking, “Welcome to our world.”

They’ll likely think, “Welcome to the chaos and the nonsense.”

This chaos and nonsense typically arise when teams lose consecutive matches, causing panic to set in.

At this juncture, even a squad as talented as City must focus on the fundamentals—giving it their all, winning duels, and executing clearances.

It was a lack of those very basics that allowed Feyenoord to make a comeback on Tuesday.

For a long time, once City went ahead, opponents would falter. Now, they even see a chance when trailing 3-0.

Liverpool currently holds an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League and boasts a perfect record in the Champions League, having just defeated the reigning champions Real Madrid.

They’ve never been such overwhelming favorites against Guardiola’s City—and that’s precisely why the visitors will be eager for this match.