Man City news: ‘Obvious to see there’s going to be a transition’

Former Manchester City defender and England captain Steph Houghton says Pep Guardiola must use the rest of the campaign to “build for next season”.

“It’s hard to explain,” she told the Monday Breakfast Club on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Anyone connected with the club is thinking ‘hHow did we go from winning four in a row to these performances’, especially at this point of the season where City usually kick on.

“They’re so experienced winning games week in, week out and applying that pressure.

“It’s obvious to see there’s going to be a transition at the club in terms of players leaving – including some big players who have been there a long time. The effort was there and the hard work was there but, overall, Liverpool have been without doubt the best team this season.”

When asked if the signs of a City rebuild are already visible, she added: “In terms of the wingers, Savinho and [Jeremy] Doku, you can see them being there a long time.

“They played well but the end product wasn’t there and that’s what you get with young players. The inconsistency of performance was always going to be there to see.

“[Abdukodir] Khusanov is getting a bit more confident. His pace is there and they needed that after Kyle Walker left. Slowly but surely you can see it, but it’s going to take time.

“They know the league is not there to be won this year, so they need to use these months to hopefully qualify for the Champions League and build for next season.”

Listen to the Monday Breakfast Club on BBC Radio 5 Live from 07:51