Pep Guardiola wants to "reset and start from zero" after Manchester City suffered a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.
Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah got the goals for the Reds as they moved 11 points clear of City, who sit in fifth, at the top of the table.
The reigning champions suffered their fourth consecutive Premier League defeat, their longest such run since August 2008, while they are now winless in seven in all competitions.
In fact, it is the first time Guardiola has lost four league matches in a row during his managerial career.
City were outplayed on Sunday, not registering their first shot until the 39th minute, their longest wait in a Premier League match since April 2010 against Arsenal (58 minutes).
"The first 15-20 minutes they were unstoppable, they started so strong, we tried to play with a lot of control and passes, but it was difficult to take it," Guardiola told Sky Sports.
"They deserved the first goal, but we started the first half so well and played well in the second half without too much threat. I know how strong Liverpool are in both boxes.
"I congratulate them, and we'll reset and start from zero, and it is difficult to believe it. I rely a lot on these players. I know they are doing in this position. We'll see what happens by the end of the season.
"We can always do the short passes, and we can do it, but we don't have many alternatives. All I can say is thank you to them because I know the commitment that they showed with and without the ball. Maybe I had a feeling inside me that we will build from them. We will restart and try and make a good run.
"There is a moment where maybe it will click. I congratulate Liverpool, they deserve the victory, and we accept the situation right now, and we'll build from that."
Liverpool fans were heard chanting "You're getting sacked in the morning" before the final whistle rang out at Anfield, with Guardiola holding up six fingers – one for each Premier League title he has won – as a reminder of City's recent dominance.
"All the stadiums want to sack me, it started at Brighton!" he said. "Maybe they are right with the results we've been having.
"I didn't expect that at Anfield. They didn't do it at 1-0, but at 2-0. Maybe they should have sung it in the past.
"I didn't expect it from the people from Liverpool, but it's fine, it's part of the game, and I understand completely. We've had incredible battles together. I have a respect for them."
City have won the Premier League in each of the last four seasons but have given themselves a mountain to climb if they want to repeat the feat for an unprecedented fifth year.
According to the Opta supercomputer, they now have just a 4.4% chance of clinching the title again, having had a 9.5% chance before the start of the weekend.
"I said before this game that we weren't in a position to think about targets, but the season is long," Guardiola added.
"We have to think about making results and then some players will come back, and then we'll be better, and we'll believe, maybe. There are many things to fight for and we're going to try."
Premier League MD13: Lucky winners and unlucky losers
Liverpool are now nine points clear at the top of the Premier League, after claiming a 2-0 win over Manchester City at Anfield.
It is fair to say the Reds, who accumulated 3.3 expected goals and had 18 shots, were more than worthy of their victory on Sunday, as City lost a fourth straight league match.
But was that the case across the board this weekend? Which teams were unlucky, and which sides got lucky, when comparing the underlying metrics to their actual results?
Here, we use Opta data to find out.
Unlucky losers: Everton
The away end at Old Trafford was mostly empty by the time full-time rolled around on Sunday, as Manchester United claimed their first league win under new boss Ruben Amorim in style, beating Everton 4-0.
But it's fair to say that Sean Dyche's team had started brightly, albeit without offering too much in the way of a threat. United's opening two goals came via a deflection and then a mistake from Jarrad Branthwaite, who was heavily linked with a move to the Red Devils in the summer.
While Everton cannot be considered unfortunate to lose, the metrics do suggest United were far more clinical than would have been anticipated based on the chances that came their way, as Joshua Zirkzee and Marcus Rashford both netted doubles.
United created just 1.0 xG, while having 11 shots, just three more than the Toffees. Amorim's side took all three of their big chances (defined as an opportunity from which a player would reasonably be expected to score). Everton had only 13 touches in United's box, though, as for all their bright play in the opening 30 minutes, they failed to make any real inroads.
Lucky winners: Newcastle United
Newcastle did not get all three points against Crystal Palace on Saturday, though they were just moments away from doing so. Daniel Munoz headed home late on after connecting with a cross from Marc Guehi, who had bundled in an own goal to give the Magpies the lead.
Yet Newcastle should really consider themselves fortunate to come away with even a point, considering the match metrics.
Eddie Howe claimed his team were in control, yet they failed to have a single shot on target, had only one attempt throughout the entire match and finished with 0.04 xG - by some distance the lowest of any Premier League team this weekend.
Palace's 1.8 xG was the fifth-highest total, on the other hand. The Eagles had 16 attempts, meaning their per-shot xG of 0.11 was higher than Newcastle's entire xG across the match.
Unlucky losers: Brighton
Brighton were left to rue some missed opportunities as they drew 1-1 with Southampton in Friday's south coast derby.
The Seagulls accumulated 1.7 xG and had 22 shots, which is at least four more than any other team in the division across the weekend's matches, while their 44 touches in the opposition box was also a league-high.
Yet they could not build on Kaoru Mitoma's opener, and were ultimately punished when Flynn Downes netted just before the hour.
Southampton created 1.0 xG, so it is not as though they were unworthy of at least a goal, but Fabian Hurzeler will no doubt believe his team should have been out of sight.
Carragher declares Man City's title bid over after Liverpool defeat
Jamie Carragher declared Manchester City's Premier League title defence as finished following their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
City were left 11 points behind leaders Liverpool after Pep Guariola's side fell to a fourth consecutive top-flight loss, an unwanted feat they have not suffered since 2008.
Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah were on target at Anfield, earning Arne Slot an 18th win from his first 20 games in charge of the Reds in all competitions.
Former Liverpool defender Carragher insisted that there is no way back for Guardiola's defending champions in their quest to retain the crown for a fifth consecutive season.
"This season, Manchester City will not be winning the Premier League," Carragher said on Sky Sports. "I don't think there is any way back.
"It is almost a mini-crisis for Manchester City, and I think it's reminiscent of Liverpool two years ago. I actually think Man City might have a fight on their hands for the top four.
"I look at Arsenal and Chelsea and the way they're looking right now, I think it may be difficult for Man City to finish above them if they don't go into the market in January."
Guardiola was seen holding six fingers up to the home crowd, referencing each top-flight title he has won, after 'you're getting sacked in the morning' chants echoed around Anfield.
Carragher backed the former Barcelona boss for his decision to do so, saying: "He's putting the six fingers up and rightly so.
"I think he is just hitting home, 'Don't take for granted what we've done'. Maybe just sending a message to the hierarchy above him, to his own supporters there."
City's defeat dropped them to fifth in the table following Chelsea's win over Aston Villa on Sunday and Arsenal's triumph over West Ham 24 hours earlier.
With Guardiola's side continuing to stumble, Carragher believes that Chelsea and the Gunners will be Liverpool's main title challengers until the end of the season.
"He [Guardiola] needs to buy players. If he can do that in January who knows, but he may need to wait until the end of the season to fix it," Carragher added.
"I look at the energy Arsenal have got and the energy the young players at Chelsea have got, and I think it might be difficult for City to finish above them."
City take on Nottingham Forest at home on Wednesday, hoping to get their season back on track against a side they have not lost to since an FA Cup defeat in January 2009.
Lecce 1-1 Juventus: Last-gasp Rebic leveller thwarts Bianconeri
Juventus were once again frustrated in Serie A after Ante Rebic's last-gasp leveller saw them held to a 1-1 draw by Lecce.
Nikola Krstovic's dazzling run and spectacular cross paved the way for substitute Rebic to equalise in the third minute of stoppage time on Sunday.
Andrea Cambiaso had opened the scoring in the 68th minute as his tame shot fortuitously deflected off Kialonda Gaspar and past helpless goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone.
Thiago Motta's side should have been ahead earlier in the first half, with Khephren Thuram missing a gilt-edged chance just seven minutes into the clash after fine work from Kenan Yildiz.
Timothy Weah also saw a goal disallowed for offside after converting on the rebound when Falcone parried Teun Koopmeiners' long-range effort.
An eighth draw in just 14 league games this season left Juve sixth in the table and six points adrift of leaders Napoli, while Lecce sit 16th, two points clear of the relegation zone.
Data Debrief: Familiar face haunts Juve
Juve are one of only three remaining unbeaten teams in the Europe's top five leagues this season, along with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, but the manner of this draw will frustrate Motta.
Sunday marked an 18th draw for Juve in top-flight action in 2024, their most in club history across a single calendar year, surpassing the 17 way back in 1956.
It was a familiar face that thwarted Juve, too, with Rebic involved in his fifth Serie A goal against the Bianconeri (four goals, one assist), his joint-most versus one opponent in the competition (Torino, also five).
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