Pep Guardiola makes Man City vow as Liverpool punish latest loss

Pep Guardiola has vowed to fight Manchester City's dramatic loss of form head on. The defending Premier League champions have now lost four games in a row in all competitions.

Two of those have came in the Premier League and Liverpool have taken full advantage. After City lost 2-1 at Bournemouth and then Brighton & Hove Albion, the Reds came from behind to beat the latter 2-1 at Anfield before goals either side of half-time from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah ensured they overcame Aston Villa 2-0 at home last night.

Guardiola's side also exited the Carabao Cup and suffered their first defeat in this season's Champions League during the horror run. Again, Liverpool did not slip, progressing to the quarter-finals of the former competition before hammering Bayer Leverkusen to go top of the group stage in the latter.

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So whereas there is a feeling of contentment and excitement on the red half of Merseyside, on the blue half of Manchester there is a feeling of unhappiness and concern. Guardiola has never lost four consecutive matches as a manager before but he insisted that he is ready for the fight after last night's defeat to a Brighton team who continue to impress under Fabian Hurzeler.

"Normally people lose games. Always a first time in your life," said the 53-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of the season. "This is my challenge, our challenge. I like to face it. I will not step back at all, less than ever. More than ever I want to do it and we will try again.

"There is always a first time in a lifetime. We lost two games in the Premier League, that is the point. Of course we have to change and get back to winning but we are in the position in the table, Champions League again and when the players come back I don’t have any doubts that we'll be back at our best."

Injury-hit City, who will be without newly-crowned Ballon d'Or winner Rodri for the rest of the season, have won a record-breaking four successive Premier League titles. During Guardiola's time at the club they have lifted 15 major trophies, including the Champions League.

Pressed on whether this era of dominance is coming to an end, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss said: "When we lose, I am here, but it looks like my arguments are excuses.

"This is how I feel. When I play bad, I'm the first to say I don’t like it, but I don't have that feeling.

"(Our era coming to an end) is what the people want. It's normal, we won a lot, it happens. I'd like all the squad to fight and if someone (wins) it, okay, congratulations. Not give it away because we are not there. I have that feeling, we are not there, we cannot do it every three days with the situation we have.

"We need (players) to do it but no we don’t have it. Is the era going to come to an end, for sure, it’s not eternal. For the next 56 years City are not going to win every game in the Premier League, that’s for sure, but try to be there, why not, this is what I would like.

"In this business you have to win games and we are not winning games. Of course we have to change it and the players know it, but that will help us to be more focused, have the desire to come back for the players to do it, and we will see. What is going to happen is going to happen."

Liverpool are now five points clear of second-placed City, who host bogey-side Tottenham in their first match back after the international break. The Reds travel to basement boys Southampton.