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11 months ago
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Rio Ferdinand has suggested that Manchester City's recent dip in form is the result of 'a hangover' from their incredible treble-winning season in 2022-23.
Pep Guardiola's City were the best team in Europe last term, winning a three-peat of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League - but this year they are not quite the same team and have not won in their last four games in the Premier League.
Draws with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham came ahead of a defeat on the road to Aston Villa in midweek - their worst such run under Guardiola's reign.
As such, the reigning champions have faced some criticism over their surprise form in the Premier League, with Sky Sports pundits Micah Richards, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher suggesting there was an element of complacency.
Yet Ferdinand suggested that there might be a 'hangover' effect in the blue side of Manchester, although he claimed that it is entirely understandable if that is the case.
Rio Ferdinand has suggested that Man City have a 'hangover' after their success last term
The Cityzens have been on a run of four games without a win - their worst run under Pep Guardiola
Guardiola refuted the suggestion that his side were experiencing complacency this season
'I've seen people say they're not focussed anymore or they're not as hungry but this is a team that's won three Premier League's and a treble,' he said on TNT Sports. 'There's going to be a bit of a hangover maybe.
'It's tiring to do that. I was in a team that did three on the bounce and it's a tiring experience.
'But that feeling of winning is a drug and these guys are on that. They're going through a moment form wise but they will shake up, no doubt about that.'
City fans will likely point to the fact that their recent run of fixtures over the past two months has been fiendish in the extreme.
Since the start of October, they have faced Arsenal (a), Brighton (h), Manchester United (a), Bournemouth (h), Chelsea (a), Liverpool (h), Tottenham (h) and Aston Villa (a).
In other words, the Citizens have played all five of their fellow 'Big Six' sides, as well as third-placed Aston Villa and high-flying Brighton - arguably the worst fixture list of any team in the league.
In the whole of 2022-23, City played 63 games in all competitions, losing only seven of those, and such an exertion understandably could take a toll on any squad.
The City boss took aim at the three Sky pundits in his press conference ahead of the game at Villa, saying: ‘Gary Neville knows how difficult it is otherwise he would’ve won four Premier Leagues in the best period of Manchester United.
The Treble winners have had a poor run of results in the Premier League in the last two months
Their most recent blip came at Aston Villa where they lost 1-0 in midweek at Villa Park
'But he didn’t do it. Maybe they accuse us of complacency because they felt complacency (at United). Maybe they felt it. This team so far, no chance.
‘Jamie Carragher didn’t win one (title). Micah Richards didn’t win four Premier Leagues in a row. Never, ever. It’s never happened.
‘I don’t have anything to say about the pundits, honestly. It’s not about that (complacency). Maybe I’m wrong but I don’t think it’s about complacency.
‘I know the players, I know how they run. How we behave is extraordinary. I have a feeling that if we maintain that level, we’ll win the Premier League. We will win it again.'
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