Man City need six signings to spark change - but it's not all doom and gloom

As Christmas comes into view Manchester City will be hoping for a couple of presents in the January transfer window.

Pep Guardiola's side contrived to lose the derby on Sunday from a winning position with just minutes to play as Manchester United staged an improbable comeback handed to them by individual errors and a crisis of City confidence.

The Blues have now won just one of their past 11 games and manager and players seem incapable of finding a solution. And even when they are on the brink of a victory that could be a catalyst to improvement, they find new ways to turn wins into draws or defeats.

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City were in front against Sporting, Brighton, Feyenoord and United in this recent malaise and managed to lose three and draw one of those matches. In all four the opposition scored quickfire doubles - or a treble in Feyenoord's case. Across that quartet of fixtures, City shipped nine goals in 28 minutes in a worrying trend that raises the mentality and confidence questions the players themselves have been asking.

Yet even with the recent woes, City are fifth in the table and only three points behind Arsenal and five adrift of a Chelsea side many are currently purring over. Even Liverpool, nine points above the Blues with a game in hand, showed on Saturday that they are not impenetrable.

Indeed, on Christmas Day last year City sat fifth in the standings, six points adrift off then leaders Arsenal. And while Guardiola's men had a game in hand, went and won the Club World Cup, and were evidently playing better than they are now, their last six games before