Ruben Dias has warned Manchester City’s critics not to underestimate them, despite a difficult start to the season.
The Premier League champions head into the final international break of the year five points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
However, following a rare run of four consecutive losses across all competitions – a first in Pep Guardiola’s managerial career – Dias is confident that City will respond strongly when action resumes next week.
“I would say, please, doubt us. Feel free to do so,” the centre-back said.
Dias emphasized that City has a history of bouncing back stronger after a challenging spell.
Although they will be without Ballon d’Or winner Rodri for the foreseeable future due to a knee injury, Ruben Dias believes the club’s strong personalities in the dressing room will help steady the ship.
“When we did the treble, we even called it the dark January,” he said.
“We had a tough period. But it is what it is.
“What matters is how you bounce back from these moments.
“That’s why our team has won so much because in moments of difficulty, the characters come up and we stay together.
“We don’t find people to kill, we find people to bring into the cause and fight together.
“That’s what we need to do once again. Until it’s done, it’s not done.”
Manchester City resume their league campaign against Tottenham on Saturday, November 23, before visiting Liverpool on December 1.
Speaking after Saturday’s loss away to Brighton, Guardiola said: “I was a football player, and many times I lost a lot of games, four in a row, five in a row, six in a row.
“I never expect different from the fact we won in the past, that we are special.
“People can believe that, but it’s not true.
“You can lose four games in different competitions.
“I know after you win, everything is perfect and you lose it, for example, against Fulham we won, and we played miles away worse than today.
“It is important to put it in perspective. Before the season, he’s going to do it easy, right?
“You win the treble and was a failure.
“You know, after one, three or four or five periods, I was a failure. Team was a failure.
“Then with the Champions League, now, no, win the Champions League, and I was not a failure. So we won.
“Right now we are not in our best.
“It’s obvious, but still it is around November, so hopefully come back and step by step, do it, because the league had the feeling that every game will be tough for all the team.
“We have to recover our best. And we will see.”
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