LONDON: Pep Guardiola says struggling Manchester City can hit the heights of recent seasons once he has all his top players back despite their alarming slump.
The defending Premier League champions have lost six of their past seven games in all competitions — falling 11 points behind leaders Liverpool in the English top flight.
It is an extraordinary collapse for a team that have won six of the past seven Premier League titles, including the past four.
Guardiola, whose team host Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, told a pre-match press conference he was confident City’s decline is not terminal.
“With all the squad this season, we’ll be close to the level that we reached last season,” he said on Tuesday.
The club have been beset by injury problems this season, most notably the loss of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri for the rest of the campaign.
A number of other key players have spent time in the treatment room including Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Dias.
Guardiola described City as “magnificent” at Liverpool on Sunday despite their 2-0 defeat.
“I would say we are not far away from the team second in the Premier League (City are two points behind Arsenal),” he said.
“But always it’s the way you play, the consistency you have in the boxes, and many things that give you the positive thoughts of what is going to happen in future.”
Guardiola said the club would talk “internally” over whether they would bolster the squad in next month’s transfer window.
And he confirmed that Ederson remained his number one goalkeeper after he was dropped for the Liverpool match in favor of understudy Stefan Ortega following a mistake in last week’s 3-3 draw against Feyenoord.
He said the Brazilian had reacted well to his decision.
“Ederson number one, Stefan number two,” he said. “But maybe Stefan continues. We’ll see tomorrow and the next games.”
Guardiola called on City’s fans to help lift the team against Forest, who are sixth in the table, a point behind his men.
“Many, many good moments we’ve lived together,” he said. “They know that we need absolute support because all of us, the players especially, are human beings.”
Guardiola denies rift with De Bruyne during Man City’s dramatic slump
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Guardiola denies rift with De Bruyne during Man City’s dramatic slump
- “With all the squad this season, we’ll be close to the level that we reached last season,” Guardiola said
- The club have been beset by injury problems this season, most notably the loss of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri for the rest of the campaign
Nemkov and Cyborg crowned PFL world champions in Lyon
- Rising stars of MMA on show at landmark event that highlights sport’s global ambitions
- Brazilian veteran Cyborg cements status as one of the greatest fighters in women’s MMA history
LYON: Two new Professional Fighters League world champions were crowned on Saturday night as Vadim Nemkov and Cris Cyborg headlined a landmark PFL Lyon event at the LDLC Arena, which also saw the emergence of Europe’s next wave of MMA talent.
Russia’s Nemkov closed out his 2025 campaign in emphatic fashion, becoming the inaugural PFL Heavyweight World Champion with a first-round submission victory over Brazil’s Renan Ferreira. Nemkov (20-2) secured an arm-triangle choke at the four-minute mark of the opening round, neutralizing the size and power of the Brazilian to firmly establish himself at the top of the heavyweight division heading into 2026.
In the co-main event, Cyborg added another accolade to her decorated career by capturing the PFL Women’s Featherweight World Championship. The Brazilian veteran (29-2, 1 NC) defeated previously unbeaten Sara Collins (6-1) via rear-naked choke in the third round, further cementing her status as one of the greatest fighters in women’s MMA history. Cyborg later indicated that she intends to have one final MMA bout before calling time on her career.
The Lyon crowd was treated to a series of standout performances beyond the title fights. Belgian prospect Patrick Habirora continued his rapid rise with a first-round knockout of Kevin Jousset, preserving his perfect professional record at 8-0. Habirora’s explosive finish sent the arena into celebration and underlined his growing reputation as one of Europe’s most promising young fighters.
France’s Taylor Lapilus delivered a composed and technically polished display to earn a unanimous decision victory over England’s Liam Gittins. Lapilus (23-4) controlled the contest over three rounds, reinforcing his credentials as a leading contender in the PFL bantamweight division.
Two PFL Europe titles were also decided on the night. Aleksandr Chizov claimed the 2025 PFL Europe Lightweight Tournament Championship after stopping Connor Hughes with a third-round knockout, capping a consistent campaign marked by resilience and adaptability. Meanwhile, French bantamweight Baris Adiguzel captured the 2025 PFL Europe Bantamweight Tournament Championship with a first-round TKO victory over Dean Garnett, imposing his aggressive style from the opening bell.
With four champions crowned and several rising stars making statements on a major stage, PFL Lyon marked a significant moment for the organization’s global and European ambitions.
Full results:
Vadim Nemkov def. Renan Ferreira by first-round submission (arm-triangle choke, 4:00)
Cris Cyborg def. Sara Collins by third-round submission (rear-naked choke, 2:55)
Patrick Habirora def. Kevin Jousset by first-round KO (2:42)
Taylor Lapilus def. Liam Gittins by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Baris Adiguzel def. Dean Garnett by first-round TKO (0:44)
Boris Atangana def. Guilherme Soares by second-round submission (rear-naked choke, 2:35)
Aleksandr Chizov def. Connor Hughes by third-round KO (0:50)
Gustavo Oliveira def. Movsar Ibragimov by second-round KO (0:34)
Sabrina de Sousa def. Paulina Wisniewska by split decision
Rayan Balbali def. Levi Batchelor by split decision
