Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has defended star striker Erling Haaland and said the team must "use him better" to help fix his form slump.

Pep Guardiola has never been in a situation like this before. You can tell. In 16 years of top level management Guardiola has won more trophies than he could count, propelled great talent to peaks even they couldn't imagine and set the template for modern coaching.

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski says he is confident that his former manager Pep Guardiola, who he calls a “genius,” can turn things around at Manchester City and get the team back to its best.

Seventh in the Premier League standings, Manchester City is four points behind the Big Four, synonymous with the Champions League.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Premier League game against Everton (kick-off 12:30 GMT). Here are the key lines from his news conference:

Pep Guardiola has seemingly confirmed Manchester City out of the Premier League title race for this season amid their ongoing poor run of form.

Manchester City's dismal run of form, with one win in eight Premier League games, is down to the whole team and not one player, manager Pep Guardiola said on Tuesday, with struggling striker Erling Haaland not to blame.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says the club are in danger of missing out on a place in next season's Champions League.

Pep Guardiola accepts Man City may not make Champions League - City have suffered defeat in six of their last eight Premier League outings.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has once again leapt to the defence of Erling Haaland, saying the club's current crisis cannot be blamed on the misfiring striker. Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa was the ninth in 12 matches in all competitions for City and the Norwegian forward has failed to score in five of their past six games.