Pep Guardiola fronts up to Manchester City's frailties ahead of Leeds United test

MANCHESTER City boss Pep Guardiola has vowed to find solutions to his side's frailties with Saturday's clash at Leeds United following Sunday's 5-2 reverse at home to Leicester City.
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Former title favourites City appeared on course to make it two wins from two for the new Premier League campaign when Riyad Mahrez torpedoed a fierce effort into top corner in just the fourth minute against the Foxes.

Yet Leicester came storming back to eventually lead 4-1 as Jamie Vardy helped himself to a hat-trick with the most audacious of flicks beating 'keeper Ederson either side of two penalties.

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Foxes substitute James Maddison then rifled home a terrific strike from outside the box and whilst Nathan Ake's header from a corner brought City back within two goals, Guardiola's side then conceded a third penalty with two minutes left.

TROUBLES: For Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. pictured above, during Sunday's 5-2 loss at home to Leicester City. Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images.TROUBLES: For Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. pictured above, during Sunday's 5-2 loss at home to Leicester City. Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images.
TROUBLES: For Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. pictured above, during Sunday's 5-2 loss at home to Leicester City. Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images.

With Vardy having been substituted, Youri Tielemans stepped up to convert the spot kick with former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola seeing one of his teams concede five goals for the first time in his managerial career.

The defeat saw City displaced as title favourites by new market leaders and defending champions Liverpool and City have a host of injuries ahead of Saturday's clash at Leeds with the club's two main strikers Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus both out.

Defenders Aymeric Laporte, Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko plus midfielders Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva have also been out but Guardiola said he would turn things around.

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"I am not going to give up, I am going to try to find solutions," said the City boss to the club's official website.

“Yes of course it’s tough, we have to accept it, it’s still the second game.”

Asked by Sky Sports how much of a setback it was seeing one of his sides concede five goals for the first time and how hard it would be to pick the team and the players up, Guardiola said: "Of course it's hard, it's always hard. But it's still the second game in the Premier League and you have to try to see what you have to do to avoid it in the next time.

"This is my job, of course I feel bad for the guys and of course for the club but you still have to analyse and improve the feeling which is what you have to in these situations."

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In a bid to improve their defence, City have reached an agreement with Benfica to sign Portugal defender Ruben Dias with Nicolas Otamendi going the other way.

The Portuguese club have announced Dias will join City for a fee of 68million euros (£62million) with Argentinian centre-back Otamendi moving in the opposite direction for £15million (£13.6million).

Both deals are subject to the agreement of personal terms at their prospective clubs.

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Thank you Laura Collins

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