'We're allowed to say it!' - Thierry Henry questions Pep Guardiola's transfer calls on Cole Palmer, Riyad Mahrez & Julian Alvarez with no one left at Man City to make up for Erling Haaland 'missing sitters'

Following a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the derby, City find themselves nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, having played an extra game. The loss marks their eighth defeat in the last 12 matches across all competitions, raising concerns about their form and squad depth amid a mounting injury crisis.

Despite the attacking prowess of Erling Haaland, City's goals-per-game tally has plummeted to its lowest level since Guardiola took charge. This has led Arsenal legend Henry to question the rationale behind the exits of offensive players such as Mahrez, Palmer, and Alvarez without signing necessary replacements. Henry feels City no longer have enough quality behind Haaland, who is getting more criticism for missed chances as a result.

Speaking on Sky Sports'Monday Night Football, Henry said: "We all know, it's the first time and we're allowed to say it, that we can challenge his decisions in the way of letting Cole Palmer go, Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez. Ilkay Gundogan came back and it's not the same Gundogan who scored 17 goals a season. You're missing those goals. Erling Haaland is scoring the same goals, a few less than in his first season but he's doing what he does usually. I've seen him miss sitters in every season but where are the goals of Mahrez, Alvarez or Kevin De Bruyne, Gundogan - where are those goals?"

While raising questions about Guardiola's recent decisions, Henry also defended the manager’s overall record. He pointed out that this is the first prolonged slump in Guardiola’s illustrious career, highlighting his unprecedented consistency since stepping into management.

"Let's not kill the guy or this team because of what's happening," he said. "You can never say never [that he could quit] - but Pep is not that type of coach. He is really, really hard, and mean and intense when you win, because he wants to keep you there. And he's more nice when he's down. You can see when the team didn't play well, he will come out and say 'I love my team, they played really well tonight'.

"And sometimes he will come on the pitch and have a go at his team when they won 3-0, you can see him arguing that someone who missed a pass. I like that. You change when you're at the top, you try to change so you can stay there. Once you are here, you're trying to be the nice guy now."

With no midweek fixtures, Guardiola’s side has a rare opportunity to regroup and address City's shortcomings. The next challenge comes on Saturday when City travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa. The game will test Guardiola's ability to inspire a turnaround and restore confidence in a team that has been the benchmark for Premier League excellence in recent years.