Pep Guardiola says he could not forgive himself if he left Manchester City during his most testing period since he took charge.

Guardiola takes the reigning champions to Portman Road to take on Ipswich Town, and stay Sky Sports on Super Sunday, aiming to improve on the 2-2 draw against Brentford in the final.

The City boss has won 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles, in less than nine years at the club and ended uncertainty over his future by penning a new two-year contract last November after four successive league titles.

But City’s form continues to struggle and they find themselves eighth in the table heading into Sunday’s trip to Ipswich.

“Sometimes we don’t appreciate or despise the fact that we suffer. That’s life,” said Guardiola. Sky Sports news.

“People always think that we have to be happy all the time, we have to show on TV that we are happy. That’s a mistake, life always has ups and downs and when it happens, it happens, and of course it’s a big problem.

Sunday 19th January 4:00pm

It starts at 4:30pm

“I’m here, so when I see that I can’t, the team – I can’t forgive myself if I said I’m going to leave. I can’t forgive myself.

“Of course, this does not mean that it will come back. I don’t know, but I will not regret for a second that I did not try. Not for a second. And I work and I try to do it. Not for a second, impossible.

“I think a lot of players, they want to do that. A lot of players, they want to try, because I know how fast they go and how hard they struggle. But struggling is part of life, it’s not good. That’s real life.

“You can’t win all the tournaments you play for one reason – because it’s not possible! Even for me, it’s not possible. But according to all the time I’ve been here in 500+ games, 485 or 490 have been played. It’s a dream come true, it’s been paradise.

“We probably had one bad season, or two bad seasons, that’s what happens in life. So, we focus on winning in life, a lot. We try to get back together with this team and we’ll try to do our best.”

Pep: Haaland can ‘watch’ his future at City

City have been given a big boost ahead of Sunday’s game, which is news Erling Haaland has signed a stunning nine-and-a-half-year deal at the Etihad Stadium, which is the longest contract in the Premier League and which keeps a player until 2034.

“When Ferran (Soriano, CEO of Man City) told me, I said “sorry, can you tell me again!?” Because I couldn’t believe it. This has never happened before.

“After that it happened, but I don’t think anyone pushed the other. I think both (teams) wanted to.

“It’s great news for the club, I hope (hope) he’s happy, otherwise he wouldn’t have done this. To have this amazing talent, a special player and striker for the club, for the next ten years, is very important.

“He wouldn’t have signed the contract if he couldn’t see his future as a player at the club, and the possibilities and challenges here – it’s impossible.

“I’m very happy, especially happy that he has done this in a difficult time for us in terms of results. And to do this now, I think, means a lot for the trust of everyone in the team.

“He knows in 10 years – I don’t know what will happen – but he will have different backroom staff and players. So I think he will sign, because he sees City in the Premier League, of course, and he sees what is possible. (and) that the club has been ten years at the top, for many years.

“I think he loves playing in the Premier League and is a great compliment to the Premier League, to the whole organization, to everyone and he wants to play for the club for many reasons – amazing clubs, amazing teams, year-on-year progress, and that’s it.”

Watch Ipswich vs Man City live on Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm on Sunday, from 4.30pm.