In a shocking twist for football fans, Pep Guardiola is currently facing the worst stretch of his managerial career, watching his Manchester City team suffer four straight defeats for the first time ever. This troubling trend reached a new low when City fell to Brighton 2-1 on Saturday in the Premier League, leaving them five points adrift of league leaders Liverpool.

This marks a significant moment not just for Guardiola but also for Manchester City, as the club has not seen a losing streak like this since 2006. That was before the Abu Dhabi ownership transformed the club, and long before Guardiola, often hailed as the best coach in the world, took the helm.

Throughout his managerial career, which began in 2007, Guardiola had never experienced four consecutive losses. His closest encounter with such a streak happened during the 2014-15 season at Bayern Munich, where his team lost in a German Cup shootout, followed by three further defeats, including two in the Bundesliga and one in the Champions League.

The current situation raises the question: Is this the beginning of the end for Guardiola's remarkable era at Manchester City, having led the club to an unprecedented four consecutive league titles? Guardiola himself responded thoughtfully, saying, “It’s what the people want, right? That’s normal—we won a lot. I would just like to have all the squad available.”

Unfortunately for Guardiola, a long list of injuries has plagued the team. This season, star midfielder Rodri, who just won the Ballon d'Or, is out for the remainder of the season due to an ACL injury. Moreover, City has been without their top defenders—Rúben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Aké—making the situation even more complicated. Even the vital playmaker Kevin De Bruyne appears to be struggling to regain his full form after returning from injury.

Despite dominating the first half against Brighton—with Erling Haaland netting his league-leading 12th goal—City faltered after halftime. The team failed to maintain their momentum, and Brighton capitalized, equalizing through Joao Pedro and securing victory with a goal from Matt O'Riley just minutes later.

This perilous losing streak began in the Carabao Cup with a defeat at Tottenham, followed by a 2-1 loss to Bournemouth—the first league loss for City in 11 months. Guardiola summarized the predicament, highlighting the club's inability to cope with injuries amid a grueling fixture schedule, stating, “We cannot do it every three days, three days, four days, three days with the injury situation we have.” His desperation was palpable when he expressed, "I would love to have the players back."

Captain Kyle Walker shared a sentiment of urgency, emphasizing the need for the players to drive change. “It's down to us as a group of players to make sure that we're fighting for this great club," he told Sky Sports. "It's tough to take, and I can assure you everyone wants to turn it around as quickly as possible.”

As Manchester City navigates this unexpected crisis, the football community watches closely. Will Pep Guardiola's genius find a way to reverse this worrying trend, or is this the beginning of a troubling new chapter for the English champions? Only time will tell.