"Doubt us again!" Pep Guardiola shrugs off Man City crisis talks

City have slipped to fifth spot on the Premier League table after a rocky start to their winter campaign.

Pep Guardiola has warned Manchester City’s opponents against underestimating his side, insisting the Citizens’ recent results don’t represent their true form.

City went into the Club World Cup on the back of an inconsistent run of performances, winning only one of their last six Premier League games. After claiming the club’s first-ever World Cup title, Guardiola’s men are ready to relaunch their treble-defending campaign.

Speaking ahead of City’s upcoming clash against Everton, Guardiola said: “The moment you don’t win there are going to be doubts. That is OK. Doubt (us) again. We’ll see what happens.

“What we have won, the titles, is unbelievable. I said a few days ago that when we played incredibly well against Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Tottenham but didn’t win, it’s the real proof that they (critics) don’t care about the way we play.

“We played quite similar to the best levels we have played these past eight years. But we didn’t win so it’s a crisis, a disaster.”

After their match against Everton, Man City will prepare to host Brentford in a league game on Saturday.