Manchester City have been told all they can now aim for this season is to “upset” the teams above them in the title race after Pep Guardiola’s champions have collapsed

Manchester City have been told all they can now aim for this season is to “upset” the teams above them in the title race after Pep Guardiola’s champions have collapsed

Pep Guardiola consoles Matheus Nunes after Manchester City’s horror show against Manchester United

Pep Guardiola consoles Matheus Nunes after Manchester City’s horror show against Manchester United

Teddy Sheringham has told Manchester City to forget about defending their title again this season.

 

And the former Manchester United hero has stuck the boot into Pep Guardiola’s men further by labelling them also-rans. City’s crushing defeat to United last weekend left them six points behind league leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.

 

And Sheringham believes all City have left to play for in the league between now and the end of the season is to have a say in which club replaces them as the new kings of English football.

 

Sheringham told Genting Casino: “I think it’s done for City. I think they might have a big say on where it goes, though, after that. I mean, they’ve got to go on a hell of a run. To be anywhere near it, they’ve got to win every game, that’s the way I see it.

 

“City aren’t in the mood to win every game at the moment, so they’ll just have to cause confusion with whoever they play in the latter stages of the season and upset a few.”

 

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City have won just one of their last 11 games in all competitions, and Sheringham admits it has left him in shock. He added: “That’s a shock. That’s not even a surprise. That is the shock of the season without a doubt. Unbelievable.

 

“It’s just that you wouldn’t be able to believe it, would you? One win in eleven. I mean, you wouldn’t put a penny on that, let alone your house on something like that happening at the start of the season.”

 

Manchester City team news vs Everton as Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish join the list of players missing for Pep Guardiola

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 21: Erling Haaland of Manchester City with Jack Grealish afte the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Manchester City FC at Villa Park on December 21, 2024 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)

Jack Grealish

Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish are among eight players to miss Manchester City’s game with Everton.

 

Grealish started at Villa Park and Walker came on as a second-half substitute for John Stones, who came off at the break with a recurrence of the foot injury that has plagued him this year. Grealish was described as not fully fit for the Boxing Day match while Walker is missing through illness.

 

It means that City are more depleted than ever before this season, with Ederson, Matheus Nunes, Oscar Bobb, Ruben Dias, and Rodri also sidelined for varying lengths of time. Five of the nine substitutes Pep Guardiola picked to face Everton were academy players, with goalkeeper Spike Brits earning his first involvement with the first team squad having been involved in the warm-up at Villa.

 

Kevin De Bruyne is only named on the bench for the second successive game, alongside Ilkay Gundogan, James McAtee and the flurry of youngsters. Bernardo Silva starts in midfield with Phil Foden and Mateo Kovacic also in there looking to provide the spark to break down what is expected to be a stubborn Everton defence.

 

Nathan Ake returns to partner Manu Akanji in the centre of defence, with Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol either side of them and Stefan Ortega in goal. Jeremy Doku and Savinho both start on the wing, looking to form a potent attack with Erling Haaland as City aim to put their dreadful run of results behind them.