Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is seeking an immediate response from his team after suffering back-to-back defeats in the Premier League for the first time since 2018.

City were beaten 2-1 by Wolves at Molineux on Saturday, September 30, 2023, before falling to a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal eight days later thanks to Gabriel Martinelli’s deflected strike in the penultimate stages of the match.

“I have gratitude for the guys, they gave everything. I know how disappointed they are because they are not used to it. It is football, it happens,” Guardiola spoke of the loss at the Emirates in an interview with the club’s website.

Manchester City have slipped to third on the Premier League table, two points behind joint leaders Tottenham Hotspurs and Arsenal who are the only two unbeaten sides so far this season.

Last season, Manchester City found themselves playing second fiddle to Arsenal until the final matches of the season when they stormed to the title.

Guardiola is of the opinion a similar situation is being witnessed this season but remains unfazed stating that they will have to bridge the deficit by beating their upcoming opponents.

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The Treble winners next face Brighton and Manchester United in the Premier League and Guardiola is determined to squeeze the best result from the pair.

 “We are behind but it is October. Last season it happened but the season is long. We have people coming back and we will try to beat upcoming opponents like Brighton and Manchester United,” said the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach.

The Citizens who have won three successive Premier League titles are in the hunt for a fourth on the bounce as they seek to become the first team on English soil to achieve that feat.