"They were better. We have to accept it, We have the last chance at home against Bruges. We will do everything there and if we don't it is because we don't deserve it," Guardiola told reporters after the match at the Parc des Princes.

"We are really pleased, we are back to doing things that define this team for the last 10 years. Really pleased for the three points and to climb into qualification for the Champions League for next season," a beaming Guardiola told Sky Sports.

Premier League champions City had won just one of 13 matches in all competitions before their 2-0 victory at Leicester on December 29.

Guardiola's struggling team won for the first time in five league games to climb to a provisional fifth in the Premier League, but are still way off leaders Liverpool, who have 11 points and two games in hand over the reigning champions.

City's slump has seen them win just once in their last 13 matches across all competitions and they provisionally sit sixth in the table with 28 points, 11 below leaders Liverpool who have two games in hand. Everton are 15th, five points above the drop zone.

City, who are looking to qualify for Europe's top club competition for a 15th straight season, have won just one of their last eight Premier League games and are seventh, 12 points behind leaders Liverpool.

City's current streak, which leaves the champions seventh in the standings and 12 points off leaders Liverpool, coincides with Haaland scoring just twice, after the Norwegian netted 10 times in their opening five games.

Aston Villa beat crisis-hit Manchester City 2-1 on Saturday to heap more misery on floundering manager Pep Guardiola, who has now suffered nine defeats in his past 12 matches.

Pep Guardiola believes Erling Haaland will find his form so long as the rest of his Manchester City team-mates raise their game but has not ruled out January transfer window signings as he looks to revive the Premier League champions' fortunes.

Guardiola's side have lost eight of their past 11 games in all competitions following the devastating 2-1 defeat in the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Manchester City have won just once in 11 games in all competitions, a run that includes eight defeats.

Enzo Maresca's high-flying Chelsea beat Brentford 2-1 at Stamford Bridge to close to within two points of long-time leaders Liverpool, who have 36 points.

Guardiola was met with chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning" from the home support after City suffered a sixth defeat in seven games to fall 11 points behind the Reds at the top of the table.

City's staggering loss of form resulted in five successive defeats in all competitions and while they ended that losing streak on Tuesday, a 3-3 home draw with Feyenoord in the Champions league, having been three up, only fuelled the sense that the wheels have fallen off Pep Guardiola's juggernaut.

Pep Guardiola insisted Wednesday he did not mean to make light of issues of self harm after comments about a cut on his nose following Manchester City's Champions League collapse against Feyenoord.

Manchester City were hammered 4-0 by Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium, extending their losing run to five matches in all competitions.

Spaniard Guardiola's decision means he will spend more than a decade at the club he joined in 2016 and has led to a dazzling array of silverware, including six Premier League titles and one Champions League crown.

Manchester City have lost each of their last four matches in all competitions, and Pep Guardiola admitted he is worried.

City's 4-1 defeat to Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday was a third straight loss for the English champions -- the first time that has happened since 2018.

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City will struggle to overcome a mounting injury crisis but encouraged the English champions to bounce back in Tuesday's Champions League trip to Sporting Lisbon.