This archive report was first published on 15 September 2019.
Published on September 15, 2019, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has downplayed his team's shock 3-2 defeat by newly-promoted Norwich City in the Premier League.
Guardiola's team had dominated the league last season, winning 32 of 38 games and achieving a record 100 points. However, they have already trailed Liverpool by five points after five games of this season.
"The people cannot expect us to win or pick up 100 points all the time. We're going to recover now and come back," said Guardiola after the loss at Carrow Road.
City's Spanish international midfielder Rodri echoed Guardiola's sentiments, saying that not too much should be read into the loss. "That's football. It wasn't a normal game, but we have to look forward. The season is very long, you're going to have matches like this – at least two or three," he said.
Guardiola also expressed confidence in his defenders, John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi, despite their struggles in the absence of injured French defender Aymeric Laporte.
"John and Nico have played together many times and been a huge part of what we have done, but Kompany is now in Belgium, Laporte is injured and these are the defenders we have at this moment," he said.
