Guardiola hunts for fix to Manchester City's halftime dips in form

Pep Guardiola stated on Tuesday that Manchester City needs to tackle their pattern of fading in the second half if they want to keep pace with Arsenal leading the Premier League.

City managed two late strikes to secure a 2-1 win at Liverpool on Sunday, closing the gap to six points behind the leaders.

Yet those were the initial second-half goals from Guardiola's squad in any Premier League match this year.

City squandered a 2-0 advantage from the first half to end in a 2-2 stalemate versus Tottenham the previous week, and they were once more overshadowed during much of the second period at Anfield following a strong opening 45 minutes.

A win against Fulham on Wednesday would reduce the lead to three points temporarily, ahead of Arsenal's trip to Brentford.

Still, Guardiola believes discussions about the title chase are too early until City resolves their uneven play.

"We must improve to mirror the first half at Anfield rather than the second," Guardiola remarked during his pre-match media session.

"Why does our level drop after the break?

"Forget if the difference is three, four, five or six points, as without fixing it, we cannot triumph. Perhaps not versus Fulham, or it might happen against Newcastle or the upcoming fixture at Leeds."

City's push for trophies across four tournaments gained momentum with Ruben Dias returning as a second-half replacement against Liverpool.

However, without central defenders Dias and Josko Gvardiol due to injuries, Abdukodir Khusanov has seized his opportunity for greater involvement in the senior side.

Guardiola praised the progress of the young Uzbek back, who joined Manchester slightly more than a year back with limited English skills and needed time to settle.

"I concede he does not talk like William Shakespeare, yet he is advancing steadily," Guardiola added.

"He possesses remarkable speed. Regaining position stands out as one of his strengths, though he brings more than that, including sharp awareness.

"Usually athletes with such athletic prowess rely solely on their body rather than their mind, but he combines both.

"This explains his growing confidence on the ball. It motivates him to develop further, and he has the potential. Given his youth and receptive attitude, I noted lately that City possess a long-term asset in central defence."