The sendings-off of Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho effectively took City’s tally of red cards this season to six if another, retrospective, punishment for the Argentinian in August is counted.

Amid all of this, City’s form has been indifferent. They have not won at home in the Premier League since September and are four points off the top.

Speaking ahead of tonight’s clash against Celtic, Guardiola said: “After Crystal Palace and Burnley I was a little bit worried. I thought, ‘if we play like this, we are not going to go anywhere’.

“But I know I have to adapt to your football. Sorry guys, I need time.

“But the way we play, (it has been) good during that period here. We play good, faster than in Munich and even in Barcelona, when we had one player who was amazing and helped us to create those steps.

“We lost against Chelsea, but we have to keep going and play the way we can play, create chances and concede few. Now I’m happy and half-an-hour later, when I got home after the Chelsea game, I thought to myself, ‘this season is going to be good’.”

City dominated for the first hour against Chelsea but paid the price for spurning a host of chances as their leaky defence was exposed late on.

Guardiola has switched between three and four-man rearguards and regularly changed defensive personnel but says defending is a job for the whole team.

He said: “I don’t divide football in attack and defence. Football is a continued transition. When you attack good, you defend good.

“It is not about the strikers just to focus on attack and the defenders just to focus on defending. I don’t think like that.”

Guardiola was more reluctant to speak about his team’s disciplinary record. Aguero and Fernandinho are facing four and three-match bans while Nicolas Otamendi will also be suspended for this weekend’s trip to Leicester. In addition, Fernandinho will also miss the visit of Celtic as punishment for his sending off at Borussia Monchengladbach last month.

When pressed on the matter, after an odd exchange, the Spaniard said: “We are the best team with ball possession and with most red cards.”

Guardiola also gave short shrift to reports in Chile that City are interested in Arsenal playmaker Alexis Sanchez.

“Absolutely false,” he said. “The journalist is a liar.”

Guardiola is now planning changes for the Celtic clash, which is effectively dead rubber in Group C. City are assured of the runners-up spot while the Scottish champions cannot climb off bottom.

The City boss said: “There will be changes tomorrow, definitely. I am so happy to give minutes to people who deserve to play and who did not play in the last games.

“It is a good test for us. It is perfect to play them in the last game. I didn’t expect to do it already qualified.”

For his part Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is also looking forward to the game. “It’s a big game, even though we’re disappointed that we’ve not got something to play for,” said the Antrim man.

“I’m proud of the players in how they’ve taken on board challenge of being in such a difficult group and how they have improved.”

City and Chelsea were yesterday charged with failing to control their players last Saturday but Cesc Fabregas has avoided additional sanction after apparently striking Fernandinho. The FA announced the charge after City striker Sergio Aguero’s reckless tackle on Chelsea defender David Luiz prompted the bench-clearing fracas.

Fabregas was shown a yellow card by referee Anthony Taylor following the melee, for adopting an aggressive attitude. An apparent slap by Fabregas on Fernandinho was not seen by match officials, so it could be reviewed, but no further action will be taken.

A FA statement read: “Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas will not face any further action in relation to an incident involving City’s Fernandinho. Off the ball incidents which are not seen at the time by the match officials are referred to a panel of three former elite referees.

“Each referee panel member will review the video footage independently of one another to determine whether they consider it a sending-off offence. For retrospective action to be taken, and an FA charge to follow, the decision of the panel must be unanimous.”

Chelsea’s 3-1 win, their eighth straight Premier League victory, finished on a sour note. The clubs have until Thursday evening to respond to the charges.

Chelsea are already on a warning over previous similar breaches of FA rules. The Blues were fined £375,000 (€445,000) and Tottenham £225,000 after a series of flashpoints in the May 2 London derby at Stamford Bridge. Those record fines were reduced on appeal in July to £290,000 for Chelsea and £175,000 to Spurs, but both clubs were warned as to their future conduct.

If Chelsea are sanctioned for the behaviour at City, their prior record will likely count against them.

Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic and West Brom’s James McClean have avoided charges for tackles at the weekend. Ibrahimovic was criticised for a challenge on Everton’s Seamus Coleman and McClean for a tackle on Watford’s Roberto Pereyra which resulted in a yellow card. Both incidents were seen and dealt with by the match officials at the time.