Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he is struggling to understand why his team score so many goals and limit the opposition to so few chances but have still lost nine Premier League matches this season.
City, who relinquished the league title to Liverpool, lost 1-0 at Southampton on Sunday despite dominating possession (73%) and peppering the Saints goal with more than 20 shots.
Striker Che Adams sealed victory for 13th-placed Southampton and condemned City, who beat Liverpool 4-0 in their last game, to a third successive league defeat away from home.
Champions Liverpool have lost twice in the league all season.
“We’re leading in goals. We create a lot of chances,” said Guardiola, who lost a third straight away league game for the first time in his managerial career.
“We’re a team who concede less — no team conceded as few chances as us but we lost a lot of games.
“It’s difficult even for me to find a reason why but you have to insist and talk about the game, the way they play and try to do more, concede as few as possible and score up front.”
Guardiola backed City to return to winning ways at home against Newcastle United on Wednesday.
“I have confidence we can do it because we are the same guys and we did it in previous seasons,” he added.
“This season the way we are playing is quite similar but it is not enough to win the games.”
LIVERPOOL MAINTAIN 100% HOME RECORD
Liverpool made it 17 wins out of 17 at Anfield after goals by Sadio Mane and Curtis Jones handed the champions a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday which pushed Dean Smith’s side deeper into trouble.
Following their 4-0 mauling at the hands of Manchester City on Thursday, Juergen Klopp’s side struggled to break down a determined Villa.
Klopp fielded another strong side but with the ground empty and the title already in the bag, there was a lack of edge to Liverpool’s play.
The visitors’ were solid and organised and could even have gone ahead in the 52nd minute when Anwar El Ghazi forced a fine save out of Alisson.
But Mane broke the deadlock in the 71st minute, meeting a low ball from Naby Keita with a firm shot that rattled in off the underside of the cross-bar.
Substitute Jones scored the second, a minute from the end, with the 19 year old hooking home after Mohamed Salah headed an Andy Robertson cross into his path.
The goal was Jones’ first in the Premier League and came a day after he signed a new five-year contract with the club.
Liverpool are now unbeaten in their last 57 Premier League home games with 47 wins and 10 draws and they have won 24 home games in a row.
