Pep Guardiola exclusive: Manchester City boss says players must adapt to loss of ‘legends’, explains why the Marc Guehi transfer was fast-tracked

“When you win, bounce back. When you lose, bounce back.”

Still battling on four fronts, it might sound overly critical to even suggest that, but four Premier League games without a win since the start of the year has allowed Arsenal to open up a seven-point gap at the top of the Premier League.

Guardiola: Injuries and squad overhaul key to Man City’s inconsistency

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For Guardiola, this is a far different scenario to the one which saw City lose nine of 12 games in the lead-up to Christmas in 2024.

Since then, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Kyle Walker and Ederson have all departed the club as City ushered in a new era.

“We’re more consistent than last season,” Guardiola told TNT Sports. “But at the same time, we’ve changed a lot of players who have been legends massively.

“The key part of the success that we’ve had in the last decade, the part of the inconsistency that we have, is that we have to adapt to many things. It’s easier when you don’t have nine injuries as we have right now.

“When you have an absence like we have today here in Norway, it’s not easy to reduce the timing to be more consistent. In that situation, you take a little bit more time, but I’m so optimistic, and we’ll do it.”

Guardiola: Guehi has always been on our radar

Erling Haaland is without a goal from open play in seven games, meaning the return of Omar Marmoush to the matchday squad is a timely boost following his involvement with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Guardiola says it is “down to everyone” to perform well, refusing to place too much emphasis on why Haaland’s goals have recently dried up.

Guehi calls Man City move ‘a relief’ after transfer saga

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The Catalan has also downplayed the notion that City are currently experiencing the slight inconsistencies that come with a transitional campaign, with Guehi becoming the 16th new addition since the start of last season.

Reflecting on the news earlier on Monday that City had completed the transfer of the former Crystal Palace captain in a £20 million deal, Guardiola said: “He’s a top defender. I can say thank you to the club for bringing him to the team in a position where we have a lot of problems in terms of injuries and so on.

“When a team plays one game a week, it’s not a problem, but we play every three days, every month, so you need to have a squad. Otherwise, it’s more difficult.

“We will be more consistent without the nine injuries, that’s for sure. But it is what it is. I always remember during the years when we won everything, year by year, and we were fighting for trebles or quadruples because we only had one or two injuries.

“Last season was really not good, as we had an incredible amount of absences. This season, especially in the spirit, it’s really quite similar. There are many other things that are good. I could be wrong, but I don’t lie to myself.

Highlights: O’Reilly, Haaland secure Man City comeback win

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“Not even to myself, in front of my mirror or in front of you. I am clear and honest about that. I have a responsibility to my club.

“I don’t lie when Man United were better. I just congratulated them because they were better. What you have to do is improve, and that is the only way you continue as a team for this year and the next one.

“A lot of players here are having their first season. When we’re talking about how good we have done in the past, it was three seasons, four seasons, five seasons (playing together). It takes time to adjust to details, to setbacks, improve, and we are in that process.”

There is an honesty to Guardiola’s assessment of the season that simultaneously provides a perspective while maintaining high standards.

City have a vastly larger wage bill than their Norwegian opponents, underlining the financial gulf between the two clubs.

Guardiola is taking nothing for granted, however, with Bodo having already held Tottenham to a 2-2 draw earlier in this season’s competition, whilst also reaching the Europa League semi-finals last term.

Several first-team players will be missing through injury, with Bernardo Silva’s suspension adding to the reduced cards at Guardiola’s disposal.

But the City boss views the current challenge as an opportunity for others to stake their claim for regular inclusion.

“Stability is always easier when you have the same back four,” Guardiola conceded.

“When we had a good run earlier this season, winning eight games in a row, and when we have done it in the past, it’s because the back four is always the same: Mateus (Nunes), Ruben (Dias), Josko and Nico (O’Reilly). Now, we’ve had Max (Alleyne) and Abdukodir (Khusanov) for two or three weeks, so it’s new.

“It’s the same with Rayan (Ait-Nouri), who has been away at AFCON, so they need a little bit more time. But when a problem is in place, it is an opportunity for others. We must take the problem and turn it into an opportunity for the team.”

O’Reilly: We know we have to do better

O’Reilly is part of the travelling squad to Bodo, and the full-back says there can be no excuses for failing to return to winning ways despite the absence of personnel.

“Right now, it’s a difficult time, but it’s down to me to show more of what I can do,” O’Reilly told TNT Sports. “Losing to United was a tough one to take, but they were the better team on the day.

“We’ve got to bounce back, and this is now a new game, so it’s down to us to show what we can do and get a good result with a good performance.

Glimt defender Bjortuft lays out plan to stop Haaland scoring

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“We’re not here to make excuses. We knew we’d come here to play on artificial grass, and we knew it was going to be cold, so there’s definitely no excuse.

“The main goal is to come here and win. Within myself, I want to step up and be a big part of this team. We know that within ourselves, we have to do better. We can’t afford to be losing or drawing games, but the preparation has been the same.

“We’re going to try to win everything that we can – that’s still our goal. If we win tomorrow, it puts us in a good position to finish in the top eight and miss out on the knockout play-off game, so that’s what we’re going to try to do. I love Champions League nights, they’re so special.”

Meanwhile, Bodo/Glimt centre-back Odin Bjortuft is relishing the task of facing his compatriot Haaland and believes City will pose “the biggest challenge” in the Champions League campaign.

“We know that City have been struggling this year, but at the same time, the quality they have is huge,” Bjortuft said.

“I don’t think we underestimate them in any way. We think this will be our biggest challenge yet, and it will be fun to see how it goes.

Highlights: Bodo/Glimt fight back to deny Dortmund

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“If you look at our performances in the Champions League, I think we have performed pretty well. The results have been so-so, but that’s Champions League football.

“It demands a lot to score goals and also it’s easy to put them in because there’s so much quality in the Champions League. That’s the biggest challenge for us, and that’s what we plan to do tomorrow.

“In these games, our focus is on learning and being better as a team. This is our first time in the Champions League, so for us the biggest topic is to learn and to be better and to compete more times.”

On whether he has a special plan in mind to stop Haaland, Bjortuft added: “I have to take it with a gut feeling, but you can’t really give him too much space in behind.

“We all know how agile and quick he is, but I also have to try to be physical with him to prevent him from coming into the areas where he can score.

“It’s been a big topic for us for many months to face the best striker in the world, really, especially for us Norwegians. So now it will be a super fun duel and it must be fun to feel how it is to meet such a good player and such a physical and tough player.”