Pep Guardiola expressed his feeling that “everything is going wrong” for his Manchester City team following their unexpected loss to Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday night, though he remains confident that his players can bounce back.
Just days after a disappointing 2-0 defeat in the derby against rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford, Manchester City struggled again in the Arctic Circle, suffering a 3-1 defeat at the hands of their Norwegian counterparts.
Kasper Hogh netted two goals in quick succession during the first half, and City found it difficult to make a comeback, falling 3-0 behind after a stunning goal from Jens Petter Hauge in the second half.
Rayan Cherki managed to score shortly after, but any hope of a comeback was extinguished when Rodri was sent off in the 62nd minute for receiving two yellow cards in quick succession.
In their last seven matches, City’s only victories have come in the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, with three draws and a loss in their last four league matches, beginning with a 0-0 draw against Sunderland on New Year’s Day.
“Everything seems to be going against us for many reasons,” Guardiola stated. “We started the New Year [on January 1] in Sunderland, where we missed crucial chances and subsequently faced injuries. Matheus [Nunes] has the flu and isn’t available, so there are numerous factors working against us.”
“At this level, whether in the Champions League or facing United, it’s always challenging to maintain the consistency we had before – winning games consecutively for one or two months.”
“Yes, we’ve lost key players and it’s impacted us, but overall, the team has shown a much better performance compared to the last match.”
With this defeat, City has dropped to seventh in the Champions League standings, holding a slender one-point advantage for automatic progression before their final league phase match at home against Galatasaray. They now trail league leaders Arsenal by seven points in the Premier League.
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“I feel like our results since 2025 have not been favorable in the Premier League and now in this competition,” Guardiola added. “We have four days until we face Wolves, followed by Galatasaray, and we shall see how it unfolds.
“This was a significant opportunity for us, but everything feels like it’s going wrong at the moment. That is the reality, and we must strive to change it. The players are ready, and we will do our best.
“I have no doubts about our capabilities in this competition. In the Premier League, nothing is guaranteed. When United defeated us, they outperformed us. Today, it was a case of them taking their chances, but we were there creating opportunities.”