- The Cityzens are within 10 points of their tally from last Christmas after a nightmare run
- They lost again at the weekend, falling to Aston Villa.
- LISTEN NOW: It's all starting! Are Tottenham managers treated differently to other managers?
Manchester City may not have had much to celebrate this season, but Pep Guardiola's men were able to let their hair down at the club's annual Christmas party.
Saturday's 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa left City in sixth place in the Premier League.
The current champions are nine points behind leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand.
The club is on an almost incredible run of just one win in 12 games, but the match went as planned.
The likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan appeared to enjoy the occasion, with their partners posting black and white photos on Instagram.
The players were smiling despite the team's problems and hope for a change in the second half of the season.
Ilkay Gundogan (top left) and Bernardo Silva were seen having fun with their teammates Sara Gundogan (bottom right) and Ines Degener Tomaz.
Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne welcomed his wife Michele Lacroix at the festive event
City host Everton on Boxing Day, followed by an away game against Leicester on December 29.
Much attention will be paid to whether Guardiola can improve City's situation and return it to its best level.
Despite City's problems, Guardiola seems determined to do everything he can to help his team improve.
Guardiola has stressed that Manchester City's current malaise is not due to a single player, and once again defended Erling Haaland.
In City's loss to Villa on Saturday, their ninth defeat in 12, Haaland failed to score for the fifth time in six games.
After the match, the Norwegian striker told TNT Sports: “I look at myself first. I haven't been scoring my chances. I have to do better, I haven't been good enough.”
City manager Guardiola later defended Haaland, who has scored 108 goals for the club since joining in 2022, saying “without him we will be even worse off” and that he “needs to be given the right balls in the right places.” “appropriate.”
And speaking on Christmas Eve in his press conference ahead of the Boxing Day home clash against Everton, Guardiola said: “It's about us, not just one player.”
Gundogan and his wife Sara announced that they are expecting their second child in September.
The Premier League champions are on their worst run in many years.
“When we scored goals in the past and Erling was so prolific in helping us, it was thanks to the team.
“And when you have problems at the back, in the middle, it's for everyone, it's a team, it's not about just one player.” It would be easy, if it were a single player, the reason. It's not about that.
'Erling is very important to us and will be very important to us. (We have to) try to do things better, use it better.”