Pep Guardiola said the cuts and scratches on his face were self inflicted during a bizarre press conference to unpack Manchester City’s stunning 3-3 Champions League draw with Feyenoord.

City led a 3-0 lead slip on Monday (AEDT) as the four-time defending Premier League champion’s winless run extended to six games across all competitions.

Guardiola – regarded as one of the greatest football managers ever – mimicked a scratching motion across his face while speaking to reporters at Etihad Stadium

“With my finger, yeah, with my nail,” the battered Spaniard explained, before adding with a smile: “I want to harm myself, yeah.”

City players were booed by their own fans after the stunning result.

“They are disappointed. Of course we understand it,” Guardiola said.

“They are completely right to express what they feel.”

While the worst losing streak of Guardiola’s managerial career was brought to an end, his wait for a first win since October 27 (AEDT) goes on.

Ilkay Gundogan and Erling Haaland both scored goals to give City the lead.

However, the game was completely changed by goals from David Hancko in the 89th minute, Santiago Gimenez in the 82nd, and Anis Hadj Moussa in the 75th.

It was the first time in Guardiola’s management history that his side lost a match after taking a 3-0 lead, according to statistics provider Opta.

It said it was the first time City had failed to win from that position since 1989

“We lost a lot of games lately, we are fragile and of course we need a victory,” Guardiola said.

“The game was good for the confidence, we were playing a good level, but the first time something happened we had problems.”

City would have risen to fifth place in the Champions League rankings with a victory, but with three games left in the competition’s first round, the draw dropped them to fifteenth place.

Teams seeded ninth through twenty-four enter a playoff round, while the top eight teams move on to the round of sixteen.

As they exited the field to applause from the ecstatic traveling Dutch supporters in the away section of the stadium, City’s players, particularly Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol, and Haaland, seemed obviously irritated.

“If you are 3-0 up at home you can never give it away like this. It is what it is at the moment. The only thing we can do is fight back and stay strong,” City defender Nathan Ake said.

City plays Premier League leader Liverpool on Monday (AEDT) and defeat would leave it 11 points adrift of its title rival.

“I want to ask you guys the unthinkable,” Australian goalkeeping great Mark Bosnich said on Stan Sport’s coverage.

“If they lose to Liverpool, that’ll be seven games without a win.

“And then they’ve got (Nottingham) Forest at home, (Crystal) Palace away and then they’ve got Juventus. If they don’t win any of those games – I can’t even believe I’m asking – will pressure from the top come on to say, look, are you (Guardiola) OK?

“Because they have been phenomenal. Let’s get that straight, four titles straight, first time in the history of England football.

“They won the treble two seasons ago. But there does come a time where either you change the team or you change yourself because it’s hard to keep that type of motivation.”