Pep Guardiola has caused concern after explaining the reason he had cuts on his head and face following Manchester City’s draw with Feyenoord in the Champions League.
City threw away a three-goal lead in the final stages, with it finishing 3-3 at the Etihad in another night-to-forget for the Premier League champions.
Winless in six games – including five straight losses in all competitions – pressure is mounting on Guardiola.
The Catalan manager has never seen such a poor run in his managerial career, and despite drawing, this latest collapse is perhaps City’s worst result yet.
But most concerning was Pep’s explanation after he showed up to the post-match press conference with visible cuts and scratches to his head.
Pep Guardiola Explains Cuts To His Head And Face
Speaking to the press after the game, Pep explained the cuts were self-inflicted. He even joked that he wanted to “harm himself.”
Guardiola said: “My finger, here [pointing to nose]. My nail. I want to harm myself.”
The manager was consoled by members of the gathered media, with one saying: “It will be okay.”
🚨 Pep Guardiola on those cuts: “With my fingers… I want to harm myself”.
🎥 @BeanymanSports pic.twitter.com/9g9Ix0LyrO
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 26, 2024
But while some have taken Pep’s comments at face value, others have expressed concern.
One Twitter (now X) user said: “That’s a pretty astonishing moment of self harm that left Guardiola with scratches across his head and face tonight.
“Somebody needs to sit him down and ask if he’s alright.”
Manchester City’s Fixtures Provide No Relief For Pep Guardiola
While Pep may have been hoping for an easy fixture this weekend, he’s out of luck once again.
Manchester City travel to league leaders Liverpool in a monumental clash at Anfield. With the Reds currently eight points clear, a loss at the weekend could leave City 11 points adrift and all but out of the title race before Christmas.
Ahead of the weekend, Guardiola has emphasised both his frustration at recent results and his desire to turn things around.
He said: “Three episodes didn’t allow us to win, what we needed. For many, many reasons, not just for the terms of qualification and get the points to go through. Other reasons.
“It’s what it is. So difficult to swallow right now. The game was good. We scored three, we could have scored more, we do everything but at the end, we give away especially the first one and after we are not stable enough to do it.
“It’s not about not running, no commitment, nothing like that but in football, you have to do it in certain moments. The second goal, the second post, touch the post. Improve, what can you do? So rest one or two days and prepare for Anfield.”
And asked how he plans to rebuild his players’ confidence and get them performing again, he spoke frankly.
Pep added: “We have to, I have to, it’s my job. We play a good game but of course we need to do it and we were not able to control the last minutes.”
Following the trip to Merseyside, City host Nottingham Forest before travelling south to face Crystal Palace.
