• Guardiola reveals change of heart after four defeats
• New contract will take him past decade as manager

Pep Guardiola has signed a new two-year contract with Manchester City that will extend his tenure as the manager to 2027, with the Catalan stating the champions’ current bad form stopped him leaving in the upcoming summer.

The 53-year-old’s decision to commit for two more seasons – he had been expected to sign up for just one – after the current campaign is a major boost for the champions, particularly as it comes during a run of four consecutive defeats, the poorest sequence of form under his management.