Pep Guardiola is adamant that the future is rosy for Manchester City, but he admits that his side is currently 'far away' of title candidates.
City lost 2-0 at home in Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday. In that result, leaders Liverpool gave their lead over the second place Arsenal to 11 points, while they move 20 free of the city in fourth place.
Although his side lost for the 14th time in their last 27 games, Guardiola was encouraged by what he saw in the Etihad Stadium.
“If you lose, you have to lose the way we lost today,” he told Sky Sports. 'I saw many things that this club has a bright future with the players we have.
'Besides Kevin De Bruyne and perhaps Nathan Ake, all players are so young. Whatever the club decides for the future, there will be a bright future for this club in the coming years.
'Everyone knows that a part will be here next season for the older players, but we have to build for the next step. There is a matter of time. '
The average age of the city team on Sunday was 25.68. Guardiola missed various senior stars, including Erling Haaland, John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Rodri.
Guardiola added: 'Even with the amount of absence we have, we played well.
'They break the lines and can break behind you. They really threaten, but we bring them there and everything we missed is that in the last third part. It depends on the talent to dribble or shoot at the right time.
'We are building for the future. We are far away. We will see in the future. What we have done in previous seasons is good, but now we love them. '
City won the Premier League last season for a record -breaking fourth year in a row. Guardiola has delivered 18 trophies since he arrived in Manchester in July 2016.
But after they had been beaten out of the Champions League earlier in the week, their only chance is to add their trophy count between now and the end of the current season by winning the FA Cup.
Sunday's victory was Liverpool's first road in the Etihad Stadium since April 2018 and their first there in the Premier League since 2015.
Despite their poor recent history in Oost -Manchester, Liverpool started Sunday's game as clear favorites and they took on that tag by making a brilliant start. The Reds were 2-0 within 37 minutes thanks to strikes from Mo Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai.
City dominated the property in the second half, but it was Liverpool who came closest to score the third goal.
Liverpool indeed briefly thought they had made it 3-0 before Curtis Jones saw his effort excluded after a VAR assessment for offside.
Liverpool now has 11 league matches left – of which seven are played on a home floor in Anfield.
Rivals of the distant title Arsenal still have 12 games to play – six at home and six away, including a trip to Anfield to combat in Liverpool in May.
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