Winless run just part of football, says Guardiola

City won their opening 10 games in all competitions but Sunday's 1-1 draw with Southampton at the Etihad Stadium was their fifth without a win.

(Reuters)

That run has seen them lose ground to Barcelona in the Champions League and allowed their Premier League rivals to close the gap at the top.

"I was a football player and I know this can happen," he told British media. "You are able to win 10 times in a row and after you are not able to win five times.

"That is part of football."

City, still top of the Premier League on goal difference ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool, face Manchester United in the fourth round of the League Cup on Wednesday before travelling to face West Bromwich Albion in the league three days later.

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)