'They could sack me' - Pep Guardiola makes surprise Man City confession ahead of crunch derby with United

City have just one win in their last 10 games, an almost inconceivably bad run for a team that has won four successive Premier League titles in dazzling style. And Guardiola is under no illusions about his position at the club, conceding that he could be given the boot if things get progressively worse.

A recent 3-0 midweek victory against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League is the only win Pep's side have mustered in all competitions since late October. They struggled against Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday night (going down 2-0) and confidence in the dressing room is at an all-time low for the Guardiola era ahead of a huge grudge match against Manchester United on Sunday.

According to Hayters, Guardiola said: "I would regret leaving now. I could not sleep, even worse than now. Leaving the situation, impossible." Speaking to reporters ahead of the Manchester derby, he continued: "They could sack me. That can happen. But leaving now? No option. If the board is not happy with me, they can do it. But leaving now in this position, no chance. When I feel it is time to leave, I will leave. What we have done is what we have done. The satisfaction to do it is done. I don’t have any target to make my life or my time here completely different. Impossible."

The idea of Guardiola being sacked from his job at City is difficult to imagine. But he needs to address this slump fast if he wants to stop it, and he'll buy himself plenty of extra credit with a win against arch-rivals Manchester United at the Etihad. The 4.30pm kick-off will be Ruben Amorim's first experience of one of English football's greatest modern rivalries.