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• Guardiola demands commitment from Man City players after losing run

  Pep Guardiola says Manchester City players have to be completely committed to the club's cause as they look to end their poor run against Feyenoord.

  City's losing streak stretched to five matches when Tottenham stunned the Premier League champions with a 4-0 win at the Etihad on Saturday, marking the first time Guardiola has lost five games in a row in his managerial career.

  It is also the first time the club have lost five consecutive matches in all competitions since April 2006. In fact, City are the first reigning top-flight champions to lose five games in a row in all competitions since Chelsea in March 1956.

  Their campaign has been hindered by a rash of injuries, with Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, Ruben Dias, Mateo Kovacic, Jeremy Doku and Oscar Bobb among those currently on the sidelines. 

  Guardiola, who signed a two-year contract extension at City last week, has led them to 18 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League crown, and urged the team to stick to their philosophy.

  "Look at where we've come from. It's so difficult to defend the success we have had, that's why I'm so relaxed. That is why I want the commitment, the commitment, the commitment and the commitment," Guardiola told reporters on Monday.

  "Just being ourselves isn't enough, we have to show commitment every day.

  "Just because this team won a lot, a lot, a lot for many, many, many years. I think in the situation, we have to go direct to our principles, change less more than ever.

  "We create a lot of chances. We're not winning the duels. We have to run backwards because our first centre-backs are not there. Rodri is not there.

  "We normally play four central defenders, but we have injuries, we had to play [Ilkay] Gundogan, our best attacking midfielder, as a defensive midfielder because of injuries ... What do we have to do? Insist. If not Tuesday, next Sunday. If not, the next game. We keep trying."

  City are currently eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool, who they face on Sunday, in the Premier League, and Guardiola said his side were not, at present, ready to win the league but stressed that this phase will pass.

  "We need to win one game. I want the players to perform well. In certain departments, we need more focus. It will pass. It's going to rain tomorrow, life goes on," he added.

  City are 10th in the 36-team Champions League table with seven points from four games, two points off the automatic qualification places. Feyenoord are a point behind in 21st.

  After drawing their opener in the competition, Guardiola's side recorded big wins over Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague before falling to Sporting CP in their most recent outing.

  Asked how he planned to turn City's form around, the Spaniard said: "Prepare for the next game, try to beat them, which is Feyenoord. I don't know any other way.

  "It's the same as winning seven games in a row? What should I change? Impossible. The players have played a lot of minutes, we have players who are injured. It's unusual."

• Reggae Boyz Magee, Williams help Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC mark 10th anniversary in USL Championship with maiden title

  Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, home of Reggae Boyz Tyreek Magee and Devon “Speedy” Williams, earned their first USL Championship league title with a 3-0 victory against Rhode Island FC in the final before a sellout crowd of 8,023 fans at Weidner Field on Saturday.

  Williams played all 90 minutes while Magee came on as a second half substitute.

  The Switchbacks opened the scoring in the 22^nd minute through Juan Tejada, who claimed Championship Final MVP.

  Three minutes before the halftime interval, sustained pressure from Colorado Springs was rewarded when Jairo Henriquez doubled their advantage.

  In the 53^rd minute the Switchbacks had their third through Haitian international Ronaldo Damus.

  The victory capped the Switchbacks’ 10th anniversary season and maintained their perfect postseason record at home since the opening of Weidner Field in 2021.

  As for Magee and Williams’ individual stats throughout the season, Magee scored three goals and provided one assist in 18 appearances while Williams recorded five assists in 36 appearances.

  This win also makes Williams now a four-time USL Champion having won with New York Red Bulls II in 2015-16 as well as back to back titles with Louisville City FC in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

  The 32-year-old Williams has been capped 35 times by the Reggae Boyz, most recently in a friendly against Guatemala last December while Magee, 25, has earned 13 caps for the Reggae Boyz, most recently against the USA in the Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals last week.

   

• De Bruyne describes 'chaotic' Man City scenes

  Kevin De Bruyne conceded there has been some chaos behind the scenes at Manchester City, but refuted the suggestion there is a dark atmosphere.

  City have lost their last five games in all competitions, while they are eight points back from leaders Liverpool in the Premier League.

  Their dismal run of form continued with a shock 4-0 loss at home to Tottenham on Saturday.

  De Bruyne, who has featured just six times in the Premier League this season and made just four starts, says there is not a bad mood in the camp, though.

  "I wouldn't say dark, it's been a bit chaotic," said the Belgian ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Feyenoord.

  "I've seen so many people pass around the medical area, sport science, whose playing and not playing. There's been so many people playing who shouldn't have been playing.

  "The games against Sporting, Brighton and Bournemouth were all over the place. Tottenham was more normal.

  "I didn't see too much change, everyone is down about the five losses. You have to move on."

   

  City have already shipped 17 league goals this term, while they were beaten 4-1 by Sporting CP in their last European outing.

  Since their losing run started with a 2-1 loss to Spurs in the EFL Cup on October 30, City have conceded 14 goals from 10.6 expected goals against (xGA).

  "There's only so much you can control from the sides. It's not a nice feeling but it's fine," De Bryne added.

  "It seems like we're not really dealing with the moments when it goes bad. There's moments like the Tottenham game which we do really well. The main issue is both boxes. We're conceding too many goals. I don't think we played a bad game the other day but we lost 4-0."

  "If you give five chances against Tottenham, that's not that bad. They get two tap-ins. With the way we play, you have to accept there's more opportunity for teams to have a counter. At the moment, we're not dealing with this in a good way.

  "We're always going to give a chance away. We're giving it away too many times. When we give a chance at goal, it's basically a goal."

  De Bruyne is out of contract at the end of the season, though the 33-year-old is not overly concerned about his future.

  "I honestly don't know. At the start of the season, I knew talks would happen but then the thing [injury] happened in Brentford. It was meant to be a couple of days and then it was eight, nine weeks. I put it all to the side," he added.

  "I'm not too worried. I'm fine. I'm happy, I just want to play good football again and the future, we'll see.

  "I only can really give you the answers, but I don't know. If there's no talks it will be my last year at the club, but I don't know.

  "I had a conversation in the summer, but then I had the injury so I wasn't in the right frame of mind to talk about that. I need to be back on the pitch and be myself again. There's no rush, I don't feel uncomfortable, I'm not worried."