Man City receive Pep Guardiola resignation message after Aston Villa defeat

Manchester City chiefs and supporters have been told not to fear a resignation notice from Pep Guardiola despite the club’s dour form.

Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa means the Blues have won just one of their past 12 matches and could be left 12 points adrift of the Premier League summit should Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Guardiola admitted his team “struggled” at Villa Park and conceded that the team’s pressing was “not good enough”. There has been mild debate over whether Guardiola will want to make an early exit from Man City - speculation that has often been dismissed as soon as it has been raised.

It will only be a month on Sunday since he penned a new two-year deal with the club. Former City defender Joleon Lescott is one of those to rubbish any suggestion that Guardiola could resign any time soon, despite his current inability to find a solution to his team’s current problems.

“I don't think Guardiola is anywhere close to resigning,” he told TNT Sports after full-time against Villa. “He's someone that thrives on a challenge. He will see this as a challenge. I don't think he's anywhere close to thinking about resigning.”

Fellow pundit Peter Crouch echoed Lescott and added: “I think he stays. I think he leaves when he wants to. It's whether he can turn it around.

“The man's a genius. He's changed the face of football in this country. He's not had this test anywhere he's been. He's one of the greatest we've ever seen. You'd expect him to turn it around.”

Asked whether it is at all possible the champions can still defend their Premier League crown, Couch added: “I think you have to (write City off in title race). They're not showing signs of title-winning form.”