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Premier League | Gameweek 26
Feb 19, 2020 at 7.30pm UK
 
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Pep Guardiola baffled by sudden Manchester City struggles in front of goal

:Headline: Pep Guardiola baffled by sudden Manchester City struggles in front of goal: ID:389101: from db_amp
The champions have scored 102 times in all competitions this season but the goals have dried up in the last two games.

Pep Guardiola is at a loss to explain Manchester City's sudden lack of potency in front of goal.

The champions have scored 102 times in all competitions this season but the goals have dried up in the last two games, despite the team continuing to create a multitude of chances.

City had 13 shots on goal to Manchester United's six in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final and 19 efforts to Tottenham's three in their Premier League game in north London last week.

Remarkably they lost both matches.

Manchester United's Nemanja Matic (left) and Manchester City's Sergio Aguero battle for the ball during the Carabao Cup Semi Final, second leg (Martin Rickett/PA)

City boss Guardiola said: "I don't know. I would like to find the explanation. In every single game we concede less (chances) and create more.

"I don't have any energy, any power or knowledge to say something wrong about my players. I know they want to score goals, score the penalties.

"Honestly, we concede few against the big clubs and we create a lot, but we miss a lot of chances. They arrive once or twice and score. We have to improve on that.

"Putting the ball in the net is the most difficult thing in football and we are going to try to improve. We scored so many goals and now we don't. I don't have an explanation."

Given City's past record and their continuing ability to dominate games, Guardiola is not overly concerned but he accepts "something is missing".

“I don't see in the last games that the people dropped or gave up. I don't have that feeling”
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Guardiola, whose side host struggling West Ham on Sunday, said: "It's not about concern, I'm just sad for my players. I suffer for them because I know they want to do it.

"I don't see in the last games that the people dropped or gave up. I don't have that feeling.

"I see the training sessions and the rhythm that we've had in the past years. We got one point from two games against Spurs but played really well. The way I play, I like it. Not playing the way I want would be a problem.

Manchester City's Rodrigo (left) and Tottenham Hotspur's Giovani Lo Celso battle for the ball (Adam Davy/PA)

"But the business is winning and if you don't we have a problem. We have a big rival (Liverpool) 22 points ahead and that means something is missing and something is not good."

Guardiola still rates his team highly despite their failure to keep pace with Liverpool in a disappointing title defence this season.

He said: "I think we are a good team. I like the way we've played this season, but we cannot deny it's big – 22 points.

"We didn't expect it but that's the reality, we have to accept it and learn.

"But I like my team. I don't have not many bad opinions about our performance."

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5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256
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