City have another tough trip to Brighton on Saturday.

It is not entirely clear who Guardiola will have available, but he will be desperate to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat.

For Silva, it is a difficult time.

“It is difficult to find the reasons for what is happening to us now,” he said. “In seven and a half seasons, I don’t remember three in a row.

“We are in a dark place. Everything seems to be going in the wrong direction.

“The good thing is that, although we lost three games, we are in good positions in the Premier League and the Champions League. We are still fighting for everything, but we have to do better. It’s just not good enough at the moment.”

City is second in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Liverpool, but four behind Nottingham Forest, third, and sixth in the expanded Champions League table.

However, they are likely to fall out of the top eight when the second set of matches in the fourth round are played.

However, at least they are competing, unlike Manchester United, as Guardiola pointed out when asked about the possibility of facing Ruben Amorim when he moves into Old Trafford next week.

“Yes, he will be the United manager and we will face him twice in the Premier League and maybe in the FA Cup. In the Champions League it is not possible.”