Pep Guardiola says Manchester City “not the best team in the world”

Pep Guardiola has expressed disappointment at Manchester City’s four-game winless run in the Premier League and said they are not the “best team in the world” at the moment.

Man City were beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa on Wednesday, prompting Guardiola to say his team is “struggling.”

Ahead of Man City’s Premier League away clash against Luton Town on Sunday, Rob Edwards (Luton Town’s manager) hailed Man City as the “best team in the world,” but Guardiola was quick to disagree with him and thanked him for his praises.

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“I think for everyone in the club, it’s good what we are living. I think it’s necessary to live that. For a long time, it was about how good we are,” Guardiola said on Friday.

“Maybe we need it. It’s terrible, we’re unbeatable and we are now not able to win one game. In the big moments, I was realising that. Maybe for myself first, I need that challenge to prove I’m a good manager. For the players it’s a good challenge, that Aston Villa were miles away from all of us… And now we may not qualify for the Champions League next season.

“They’re (Luton Town) doing really, really well for the way they played. Top clubs and teams like Arsenal and Liverpool have struggled to win, it will be the same for us. Hopefully it doesn’t make us weaker, thank you for the words “from Luton boss Rob Edwards). It’s a football game and in that moment, we are not the best team in the world as we are not getting results.

“When you are winning games, you are the best team in the world. When you are not, it’s a crisis. It can be exaggerated on one side but that’s the reality.”

Manchester City currently sits fourth on the league table, six points behind leaders Arsenal, four points behind second-placed Liverpool, and two points behind Aston Villa in third place.