Manchester City captain Ruben Dias has commented on his team's 1-2 defeat to Aston Villa in the eighth round of the Premier League.
In an interview with TNT Sports, the defender admitted that the team needed to improve, despite showing a positive response after a difficult start to the game.
'It's a disappointing result. I feel like we fought hard. In the first 10-15 minutes of the first half, we took some time to settle into the game,' Dias said.
The Portuguese explained that Aston Villa's change in player positioning forced Manchester City to adapt as the match progressed.
'They changed their structure, so it took us time to adjust. But we fought, created chances, yet they scored two goals from quick transitions from defence to attack. They were very efficient. We have room for improvement, and we must perform better,' the captain noted.
Dias praises the team's resilience
The defender highlighted that even after conceding their second goal, the Manchester City players remained determined, continuing to seek opportunities to salvage the match.
'We have to accept the result. Whatever happens, we need to respond. The team reacted well to the situation. The second goal was a tough blow, as we could have equalised not long before that. But we kept fighting and tried to create chances. Today wasn't our day, but we move on,' Dias stated.
He also expressed gratitude to his teammates for their effort until the final whistle.
'I felt like we created danger on numerous occasions. Even when we couldn't finish our attacks, we found ourselves in dangerous positions but didn't always capitalise. I want to credit the lads—we fought until the end,' the Portuguese added.
Upcoming challenges against Brighton
In the week ahead, Manchester City will face Brighton twice. Dias anticipates tough matches ahead and stresses the need for the team to focus on their own game.
'They are another strong team. They have a different style of play, so we'll need to adapt. But above all, we need to concentrate on ourselves—our team spirit and our desire to win,' concluded the captain.
