Manchester City's poor performance, with just one victory in eight Premier League matches, is a collective team issue rather than an individual's fault, according to manager Pep Guardiola's statement on Tuesday. He emphasised that striker Erling Haaland should not be singled out for criticism.
The champions' current position at seventh place, trailing Liverpool by 12 points, has coincided with Haaland's reduced scoring rate. After netting 10 goals in the initial five matches, the Norwegian has only scored twice during this difficult period.
"It's about us, it's not just about one player," Guardiola told a press conference ahead of Thursday's game with Everton.
"So when in the past we scored goals and Erling was so prolific in helping us, it's because of the team. And when you have problems at the back, in the middle, it's for everyone.
"If it was just one player, the reason why, it would be easy. It's not about that. Erling is so important for us, will be so important for us, has been, and we try to do the things better, to use him better."
The availability of John Stones, Matheus Nunes and Ederson remains uncertain for the Everton fixture. Despite being unable to identify a specific cause for their recent struggles, Guardiola expressed confidence about an improvement in results soon.
Regarding their current difficulties, Guardiola addressed various aspects affecting the team's performance, acknowledging that multiple factors have contributed to their decline in form. He emphasised the importance of upcoming matches as opportunities for improvement.
Everton, despite being 15th in the table and 11 points behind City, has demonstrated strong defensive capabilities with five clean sheets in their previous six matches.
Guardiola praised Sean Dyche's tactical approach, particularly highlighting Everton's defensive organisation and effectiveness in transitions.
With the Boxing Day fixture approaching, City's players will have limited family time during Christmas. The team's schedule includes training sessions and an overnight stay before the match on December 26.
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