'Obsessed' Guardiola can't find solution to puzzle

PEP Guardiola has 'obsessed' over City's rotten run 'maybe too much' according to his goalkeeper Stefan Ortega this week.

- JOE BRAY

But he looked like he simply had no answers for another shambolic defensive display that abandoned all 'basics' that they usually rely on.

But for Ortega, Guardiola's woes would have been compounded even earlier at Aston Villa as he produced two big saves in the opening two minutes to keep City level. The Blues picked up where they left off last weekend at the end of the shambolic Manchester derby, and were lucky to be just one goal down at the break.

Jhon Duran's goal was no surprise to anyone who had seen City's previous 11-and-a-half games. Two passes from Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez to former City youngster Morgan Rogers and the Blues had been carved open easier than next week's Christmas turkey.

John Stones and Manu Akanji were back, but City were making the same mistakes.