MANCHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admitted “in eight years we have never lived this kind of situation” after Tottenham won 4-0 at the Etihad on Saturday to condemn the Premier League champions to a fifth straight defeat in all competitions.

James Maddison marked his 28th birthday with two first-half goals before Pedro Porro scored against his former club, with Brennan Johnson completing the rout.

Defeat meant the end of City’s 52-game unbeaten home run and left them on a losing streak unlike anything else Guardiola has experienced since arriving in Manchester in 2016.

They also remain five points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool, with Arne Slot’s side facing bottom club Southampton on Sunday.

“In this moment we are fragile defensively,” Guardiola told Sky Sports.

“We started really well as normal but we could not score and then after that we conceded. After that we conceded some more which is difficult for our emotions right now.”

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss, who only this week signed a two-year contract extension until 2027, added: “In eight years we have never lived this kind of situation.

“Now we have to live it and break it winning the next games, especially the next one. Now we see things in one way, maybe in a few weeks we see it differently.”

City defender Kyle Walker said it was vital the team went “back to the basics and got a clean sheet”.

He added: “If we concede four goals at home we have to score five. It’s not just the back four, five or six — it’s all 11 players on the pitch.”

City will be eight points adrift of Liverpool if the Merseysiders beat the Saints at St Mary’s and they and could be 11 behind if they then also lose to their title rivals at Anfield on December 1.

Before the Liverpool match, City are at home to Feyenoord in the Champions League, with Walker saying: “The best way to turn this round is on Tuesday. Hopefully the mojo comes back and we see the normal City from the past eight seasons.”

As for the potentially make-or-break encounter with Liverpool, he added: “It’s a great game to turn it around and take three points from the team who sit above you.

“But we can’t put in a performance like that or we’ll get walked over