Ex-Man City ace shares Pep Guardiola resignation verdict after Man Utd defeat – EXCLUSIVE

Maybe Erik ten Hag was right, eras come to an end. After Manchester City's 10th winless match in 11 outings, it appears Pep Guardiola's grip on the Premier League is starting to loosen.

City had led until the 88th minute against rivals Manchester United on Sunday afternoon – a game they went on to lose.

Second-half collapses have become a theme of City's slump, with Brighton, Sporting, Spurs, Feyenoord and now United all banking on their fragility at the back to secure victories in recent weeks.

Almost certainly out of the title race and with their Champions League qualification hopes hanging by a thread, in other circumstances speculation over the manager's dismissal would have swirled.

Given Guardiola's success since arriving at Manchester and the fact that he has just landed a new contract, the chances of him being sacked are virtually non-existent.

But what if Guardiola resigned instead?

That was a question posed to former City ace Shay Given, who spoke exclusively to Express Sport, amid his former club's winless run.

He said: “I don’t think he will ever be sacked because of the level he has played at and what he has done for the club.

“It's probably more of a personal pride thing, he'll look at himself and say that's not acceptable. So [if he is to leave] it will be more about Pep than the club.

Doubts were raised following City's shock defeat to United at the weekend when the Catalan manager claimed his efforts had not been “good enough” of late.

Things could get worse for City before they get better, as a tricky test against Aston Villa awaits this weekend.

However, despite the rut City find themselves in, Given has no doubt Guardiola will find a solution in due time.

The Irishman continued: “It was a month ago when he said he was in it for the long haul, to fight and get us out of this situation. He could have easily walked away before signing a new contract.

“He said 'No, this is what I want to do, I want to be here and turn things around' and he also wants to leave the club in a strong position for the next manager who comes in.

“I don’t see Pep as a quitter or someone who gives up on a challenge. But it is in his career that he has never experienced such a fate. Sometimes you learn more when you go through a bad patch than when you are flying to the top of the championship.

Shay Given is a brand ambassador for sports betting platform CopyBet. Visit CopyBet.com