Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola looked back on the stunning 4-0 home defeat by Tottenham and delivered a simple truth.

“We have to accept the reality and break it,” he said.

Given he began his post-match news conference by saying “when you lose 4-0 there is not much to say” before offering his congratulations to Spurs on their biggest away win at City, Guardiola then spent quite a bit of time talking about it.

How, after so much success over such a long period of time, “a dip” was inevitable. How “little details” were the cause of major problems, due in part, but not exclusively, to the number of injuries his side are struggling to cope with.

How his belief in the players has not been shaken because of all they have achieved for him.

But also how he will not ignore the reality of five successive defeats, something he has never experienced as a manager and City as a club last went through in 2006, when Stuart Pearce was in charge.

Nether can he ignore that Liverpool would move eight points clear with a win at Southampton on Sunday – with a meeting with City at Anfield next up.

“In eight years we never lived this. I knew sooner or later we would drop. I never expected to lose three Premier League games in a row but we have been incredibly consistent again and again and again. Now we cannot deny the reality that sometimes happens in football and life is here.”