Manchester City are hoping to get back on track today, but face a very tough opponent in Liverpool.
It’s six games without a win for Manchester City, and it’s uncharted territory for Pep Guardiola.
City have been all at sea in recent weeks and have now slipped to eight points behind Liverpool in the Premier League table. A win for the Reds today would see that gap extend to 11 points and a fifth straight league title would surely be out of the question.
It has been alarming to watch City play lately.
There are a number of problems that the Manchester City manager must fix, especially the vulnerability of the defence and midfield without Rodri.
It’s a real test of his greatness right now, but Didi Hamann has made a claim about Guardiola that some will find slightly concerning.
Didi Hamann says Pep Guardiola doesn’t have a solution for the first time ever as a manager
Hamann has been looking ahead to today’s game with Liverpool at Anfield.
The German ex-midfielder represented both clubs during his playing career, and will certainly be an interested spectator today.
He’s offered some thoughts about City’s struggles of late. And he reckons that Guardiola is now experiencing something he never has in his managerial career before.
He told the Mirror: “It was worrying to see. I think it’s an illustration of where Pep’s at. I suspect that, for the first time in his career, he hasn’t got an answer to his team’s problems.
“He has built a City team who have always been in control of games and their own destiny. That’s not been the case in the last few weeks – and I think Pep is frustrated because he can’t come up with a solution. It is clear that he has not yet found a way for his team to play without Rodri.”
Guardiola needs January
It’s been a poor season so far from City, but Guardiola has been unlucky with the injuries and losing Rodri has obviously proven very significant.
Some will argue that he should be still getting much more out of this squad, but this squad is potentially coming to the end of a cycle.
The likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne are all past their primes now, and there is just a feeling that there needs to be a refresh.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 8 | 16 | 31 |
| 2 |  ArsenalArsenal | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 26 | 14 | 12 | 25 |
| 3 |  BrightonBrighton | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 23 |
| 4 |  Man CityManchester City | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 23 |
| 5 |  ChelseaChelsea | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 22 |
| 6 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 13 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 22 |
Guardiola can make a start on that in January, and hopefully, we will see a couple of new faces. City tend not to do business in the middle of the season, but circumstances are different this time.
Many City fans have expressed a desire for the club to sign Martin Zubimendi in January. Rodri himself is said to have advised City to sign Zubimendi, who he plays with for Spain.
Certainly, a new specialist holding midfielder wouldn’t go amiss at this point.
