Who: Leicester City vs Manchester City
What: English Premier League
Where: King Power Stadium, Leicester, United Kingdom
When: 12:30pm (12:30 GMT) on Sunday
Follow Al Jazeera’s live text and photo build-up and commentary stream.
Pep Guardiola insists he will not walk out on troubled Manchester City as he strives to stop the champions’ stunning decline.
The Spaniard, whose side visit Leicester City on Sunday, only recently signed a two-year contract extension but City’s dismal form has raised questions about his future. A nightmare run of nine defeats in 13 games, with just one win in that woeful spell, triggered suggestions the City boss could decide to quit if he cannot find an answer to his team’s problems.
Having led City to six Premier League titles in the past seven seasons, however, Guardiola is adamant he still has the hunger to turn the situation around.
“I will try, I will keep going. Sometimes you think the bad run will be ended earlier or it would be easier to fix it, but it takes more time,” he told reporters in the run-up to Sunday’s match. “I will not give up. I want to be here. I want to do it and, with the situation that we have, we have to do it.
“Of course, I want it, everyone wants it. I don’t want to disappoint my people in terms of the club, the fans, the people who love this club. I think all of us in our job want to do it well and please the people. That is undeniable, not a question mark.
“The biggest test is to come back again, but we have done that before.”
Guardiola won’t criticise in City crisis
Injuries have been a major factor in City’s decline, leaving them languishing in seventh place in the Premier League.
Most especially, the gaping hole left by Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, as he recovers from a long-term knee injury. Nor have matters been helped by the erratic form in an inconsistent season by the usually prolific Erling Haaland, who missed a penalty that could have sealed a City win against Everton in their last match.
Haaland has scored just once in his last seven games, but Guardiola refused to blame the Norway striker or any of his teammates.
“I don’t have it in my education to start complaining, to point at people. It’s happened, it’s life, it’s football, so let’s try it again,” he said.
“That’s why we have had success, because always it is never enough, we will try it again and again and again. That’s why we won a lot of titles.
“Every three days it was a game and win, win, win for many, many months and years. Now, we have to do the same when results are not good.”
Plenty of movement ⬆️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/yumQgXPdfA
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 28, 2024
City still have doubts about the fitness of several players as they bid to get back to winning ways at struggling Leicester, who have won only one of their last 11
“Sometimes you have injuries,” Guardiola said. “For how many years we were incredibly consistent but now, yes, we’re a little bit down and the main reason is having so many important players injured.
“But I saw the team spirit, how we trained this week, how focused they are, how they try to practise.”
Leicester City team news
Jordan Ayew, who is suspended after the forward was booked for the fifth time this season during the defeat by Liverpool in Leicester’s last outing.
Captain Jamie Vardy should be fit to return from a minor knock, but Wout Faes misses out again in defence.
Man City team news
Long-term absentee Rodri was joined on the sidelines by Ruben Dias, John Stones, Ederson, Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish and Matheus Nunes for the 1-1 draw with Everton.
Head-to-head
This is the 128th meeting between the clubs, of which City have won on 64 occasions, while Leicester have come away the spoils following 32 of the encounters.
City have won the last five league meetings, scoring 10 goals in the last three of those, while Leicester could only break up that run with a Community Shield victory following the 2020-21 title-winning season.
Leicester’s last league win came in that campaign with a 5-2 victory at City, and included a hat-trick from Vardy. The reverse game at King Power Stadium resulted in a 2-0 scoreline that gave City the three points and began their current dominant streak over the Foxes in the league.
Where do your side currently sit?#FestiveFixtures pic.twitter.com/AT9MZPPnz2
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 28, 2024