Ruben Dias’ return to Manchester City’s starting XI from injury did not change the fact that his side lost yet another Premier League game after their 2-0 defeat against Liverpool.
Ruben Dias told Manchester City fans that now is the time for the fans to “block out the noise” and “protect their players.”
During the contest, Dias and Kyle Walker were arguing minutes after Cody Gakpo opened the scoring for Liverpool.
Ruben Dias cut a frustrated figure after the Dutchman’s strike as from the very first whistle, Arne Slot’s side were causing plenty of duress for the visitors’ defence.
Micah Richards slated Walker for failing to spot Gakpo’s run and perhaps the Portuguese centre-back shared the same complaint.
The only silver lining for Dias is that he was able to play 90 minutes of football while seeming to be fully fit and ready to play more games for Manchester City.
Ruben Dias reacts to Man City’s loss to Liverpool
As for Pep Guardiola’s men, the primary concern remains that his team are showing little to no signs of a resurgence.
However, Dias sent a message to Manchester City fans that despite their latest setback against Liverpool, they remain determined not to let this slump continue to affect their desire to get back to winning ways.
The 27-year-old wrote on X: “Difficult moments…big characters. We move forward without losing any enthusiasm. Stay together.”
Jeremy Doku reacted to Manchester City’s lost by emphasising that the team will continue to work hard in order to turn their fortunes around.
Pep Guardiola’s reaction to Manchester City’s defeat was also that he expects a streak of wins to emerge after their latest disappointment at Anfield.
It seems like the desire to win remains sky-high at the Etihad Stadium despite their failure to seal a victory in their last seven games in all competitions, suggesting the elite mentality of their players and manager.
Dias was one of Manchester City’s few players who could depart Merseyside with his head held up high after putting in a solid shift at the back.
Dias stats vs Liverpool
The former Benfica colossus was tested by Liverpool’s devastating attack on numerous instances as they were handed several opportunities to attack on the break.
However, the four-time Premier League winner bailed the visitors out on several occasions and impressed on an otherwise upsetting evening for Manchester City. Here are Dias’ statistics from his performance on Sunday.
| DIAS STATS VS LIVERPOOL | |
| CLEARANCES | 6 |
| DRIBBLED PAST | 0 |
| BLOCKED SHOTS | 1 |
| ACCURATE PASSES | 72/76 |
| KEY PASSES | 1 |
Evidently, the decorated defender managed to hold his own against one of the best attacks in world football.
But Pep Guardiola and Co were unable to avoid the onslaught from Liverpool who were simply far better on the day and picked them off with relative ease.
Guardiola compared Dias to Vincent Kompany due to his rare leadership qualities and selfless nature; traits he will have to show to help Manchester City emerge from the slump they find themselves in.
Judging by his latest message on social media, the treble-winner is up for the challenge.
