Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is experiencing the worst losing streak of his career after a 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Saturday, marking City’s fourth consecutive loss. The shock result leaves City in second place, five points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and raises questions about the future of Guardiola’s dominant era at the club.

The loss against Brighton follows setbacks in both domestic and European competitions. Despite taking an early lead through Erling Haaland, who scored his 12th league goal of the season, City faltered in the second half. Brighton’s Joao Pedro equalized in the 78th minute, and then set up Matt O’Riley for the winner just five minutes later.

Guardiola’s troubles are compounded by injuries to key players. Star midfielder Rodri, who recently won the Ballon d’Or, is sidelined for the season with an ACL injury. City’s defensive line is also severely depleted, with Rúben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Aké all unavailable, and playmaker Kevin De Bruyne struggling for form after his own injury.

“We can’t manage every three days with the injury situation we have,” Guardiola admitted. “I would just like to have all the squad [available].” Despite the recent losses, Guardiola insisted that he didn’t feel the team was playing poorly.

City’s losing streak began with a Carabao Cup exit at Tottenham, followed by a Premier League loss to Bournemouth. A Champions League defeat to Sporting Lisbon and Saturday’s slip-up at Brighton have only added to Guardiola’s woes. City’s captain Kyle Walker was candid about the team’s need for improvement, stating, “It’s down to us as a group of players to make sure that we’re fighting for this great club. It’s tough to take, and I can assure you everyone wants to turn it around as quickly as possible.”

As Guardiola’s squad grapples with mounting injuries and a grueling schedule, fans and analysts are left to wonder if this recent run of poor results signals the end of City’s dominance under Guardiola’s leadership.