How to fix Man City: Six problems Pep Guardiola needs to solve after losing four matches in a row

"I would like to have the international break every two weeks, I love it," said Pep Guardiola last month. "I go to rest and then my energy is back." The Manchester City boss, then, will appreciate this pause in the season more than ever, as it comes amid his worst run of results in 17 years of coaching.

Saturday's dramatic defeat by Brighton racked up a fourth defeat in a row in all competitions for the Premier League champions, just one shy of the total amount of games they lost for the entirety of the last campaign. It is bound to lead to a lot of soul searching from the manager, who prides himself on always being in control.

City have looked utterly devoid of control in recent weeks, conceding 10 goals in the losses at Tottenham, Bournemouth, Sporting CP and Brighton. The run has left them out of the Carabao Cup, put them five points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool, and ended a run of 30 games without defeat (not including on penalties) in the Champions League.

Guardiola has also been left with an even longer injury list than before, which now includes Jeremy Doku in addition to most of the defenders in his squad. "I think everybody needs it [the break]. I think in our heads, it will be good for all of us," said the City boss.

Guardiola probably did not envisage that he would be spending his two weeks away trying to understand what had gone wrong for his all-conquering team, so GOAL has done him a favour and come up with six problems the coach needs to fix so City can snap out of this negative spiral...