CLEAN UP YOUR ACT
Pep points fingers at defence after no shut-outs in EIGHT matches
PEP GUARDIOLA is not pressing the panic button after one defeat but has warned his defence they need to raise their game.
City have not kept a clean sheet in eight matches since shutting out West Ham on November 24.
And while the City boss made clear his frustrations as Crystal Palace put three past them to leave them trailing Liverpool by four points approaching the halfway point, he maintained they must remain calm. “We have to improve and we can defend better,” said Guardiola.
“These situations can happen and we are going to try to improve it when we have time over the next few days.
“But when we win I insist they are calm and now it is the same. We lose a game, it happens, and focus on the next one.
“Last season we dropped points and immediately won again. That’s what we have to do. We have two games away before New Year and we have to do that.” City have not dropped points in the match following up a defeat since January 2017 when a loss to Everton was followed by a draw against Spurs.
But the boss could be tempted to shake up his backline with Kyle Walker likely to be under pressure from rightback Danilo, the Brazilian having returned to full training after missing three weeks, for the trip to Leicester.
Walker had a poor game against Palace and was at fault for two of their three goals but Guardiola admitted he was not the only player down after the 3-2 defeat.
“I saw them after the game and they are upset, sad – that’s normal,” he said.
“But we have to see how our character is. We have shown many times that we react well and we’re going to try again. It’s always tough to win at Leicester, then we have Southampton.”
A hectic period in the title race is rounded off by the visit of leaders Liverpool to the Etihad on January 3.