City welcome the Toffees to the Etihad Stadium in Boxing Day’s lunchtime kick-off, with the hosts having won just one of our last eight matches in the English top flight.
Our last outing saw us beaten 2-1 at Aston Villa, with Phil Foden’s late effort proving a consolation on a frustrating afternoon in the West Midlands.
But the boss says the Blues must react to our unfamiliar circumstances, with the focus now on a positive result against Sean Dyche’s side.
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He said: “I learn. They learn. We think about Everton and not much longer than that. You lose another game and you have to think about what to do in the next to winning.
“I am here to give my answer, but I don’t have a defence, I said when you lose a lot of games, it’s a business and you have to win.
“This team was consistent for so long and we broke all the records, now we are on the other side, that’s the truth. We have to find a way.
“We’re in that position, sometimes everything is harder but the players have to be ‘okay guys, we will try’.
“At the end it’s just a game. You can win games, lose games, be the same, change things, but it’s just a game.
“We deal with it when we won a lot and it was exceptional, but now it’s a game that we are living in a different part which we didn’t expect.
“I don’t know what the outcome will be, but life gives you that challenge and you have to deal with it. I am dealing with it as much as I can.”
City were boosted by the return of John Stones and Manuel Akanji to the starting line-up at Villa Park as the Blues tackle a lengthy injury list.
But the former was replaced at half-time with Guardiola admitting the England international had felt a disturbance as the break approached.
The boss was once again defiant when asked how he would deal with team selection after the setback, heaping praise on his players for their resilience and adaptability.
“We will play with 11. Jahmai [Simpson-Pusey] will play, if we can’t play with central defenders we will play with the players we have. It is what it is,” he added.
“We are lucky with the players we have for example like Bernardo [Silva].
“I know he’s special player for me but how he puts his heart into those positions. He is an incredible winner and example for us in how he behaves in different positions and always tries to help and read what happens in certain positions.
“Playing attacking midfield, holding midfield, always defensively he makes an incredible effort.
“Rico [Lewis], what can I say? The guy can play right back, left back if we need more control.
“When the team are struggling, we don’t look as good as we were. But it happened, the moment we start winning games or when players come back and we will be better.”
