Man City Have the Spirit to Weather the Storm, Dias Says

Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gives instructions to Manchester City's Portuguese defender #03 Ruben Dias from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 1, 2024. (AFP)
Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gives instructions to Manchester City's Portuguese defender #03 Ruben Dias from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 1, 2024. (AFP)
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Man City Have the Spirit to Weather the Storm, Dias Says

Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gives instructions to Manchester City's Portuguese defender #03 Ruben Dias from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 1, 2024. (AFP)
Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gives instructions to Manchester City's Portuguese defender #03 Ruben Dias from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 1, 2024. (AFP)

Manchester City have the character to come through the rough patch of form that saw the defending champions slump to a fourth straight Premier League defeat at Liverpool on Sunday, defender Ruben Dias said.

Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah gave leaders Liverpool a 2-0 win at Anfield which left City 11 points behind Arne Slot's side in fifth place.

City, who lost four league games in a row for the first time since 2008, are winless in their last seven matches in all competitions, a run that includes six defeats and a 3-3 draw at home against Feyenoord in the Champions League.

They have conceded 19 goals during the winless streak, shipping four in matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Sporting. Prior to the slump they had conceded 11 in 14 games.

"I will not talk about the little details but focus on the bigger picture," said Dias, who was at fault in the lead up to Liverpool's second.

"That is, even though it was a difficult moment I did see a lot of character and I did see the fans behind us and that is the only way we are going to go through it."

City, who have won six of the last seven Premier League titles, have been hit hard by injuries to key players such as Rodri, Mateo Kovacic and John Stones but manager Pep Guardiola has been able to guide the side through injury crises in previous seasons.

"This is just part of our legacy. We have won so much and still we are where we are and this happens," Dias added.

"We have been able to be versatile, adapt and keep on moving forward and thinking one game at a time... That is what we need to get back to."



Arab Parliament Speaker: Saudi Arabia's Bid to Host 2034 FIFA World Cup Receives Highest Rating

File photo: Saudi delegation led by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, minister of sport and president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Yasser Al-Misehal, Saudi Arabian Football Federation president, submitted the Kingdom's bid book to FIFA to host the FIFA World Cup 2034™ at a ceremony hosted in Paris, France, in July 2024. (SPA file photo)
File photo: Saudi delegation led by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, minister of sport and president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Yasser Al-Misehal, Saudi Arabian Football Federation president, submitted the Kingdom's bid book to FIFA to host the FIFA World Cup 2034™ at a ceremony hosted in Paris, France, in July 2024. (SPA file photo)
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Arab Parliament Speaker: Saudi Arabia's Bid to Host 2034 FIFA World Cup Receives Highest Rating

File photo: Saudi delegation led by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, minister of sport and president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Yasser Al-Misehal, Saudi Arabian Football Federation president, submitted the Kingdom's bid book to FIFA to host the FIFA World Cup 2034™ at a ceremony hosted in Paris, France, in July 2024. (SPA file photo)
File photo: Saudi delegation led by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, minister of sport and president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Yasser Al-Misehal, Saudi Arabian Football Federation president, submitted the Kingdom's bid book to FIFA to host the FIFA World Cup 2034™ at a ceremony hosted in Paris, France, in July 2024. (SPA file photo)

The Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Mohammed Ahmed Al Yamahi, described the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup as receiving the highest rating in the history of the global event.
He hailed this achievement as a significant success for all Arabs in securing the opportunity to host major international events. Al Yamahi expressed confidence that Saudi Arabia would organize the tournament with exceptional excellence and capability, bringing pride and honor to the entire Arab world, the Saudi Press Agency said on Monday.
Al Yamahi emphasized in a statement that this new achievement adds to the Kingdom's record of accomplishments across various fields, including sports.
He attributed this success to the unwavering support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, under the framework of Saudi Vision 2030.
Al Yamahi emphasized that their leadership and vision have been instrumental in achieving this historic milestone for the Kingdom and the Arab world.