What Did Guardiola Say About His Players After the Victory

Manchester City advanced to the semi-finals of the English League Cup after securing a 2-0 victory over Brentford. Following the match, the team's head coach Pep Guardiola shared detailed thoughts on the game, the players' performance, and certain key moments.

The Spanish coach first commented on Savinho, who stood out with his activity during the match. According to Guardiola, the Brazilian player's greatest strength is his relentless energy and forward-thinking approach. Guardiola noted that Savinho is always oriented towards the attack, never slows down, and brings dynamism to the team's game. While there might be occasional shortcomings in his finishing decisions, his diligence and aggressive playing style are his primary advantages.

Guardiola also compared Savinho to Jeremy Doku and acknowledged that the team's approach to utilizing wingers has evolved in recent seasons. Despite playing some matches without traditional wingers, the coach expressed high confidence in Savinho. He highlighted the player's ability to operate effectively on both the right and left wings, his young age, and his distinct combative spirit, which promises significant growth in the future.

Regarding Rayan Cherki’s goal, which opened the scoring, Guardiola provided a brief but clear opinion. The coach described the strike as "fantastic," emphasizing that one does not need to be a specialist to appreciate its beauty, as everyone on the field could feel the brilliance of the execution:

— "He scored a fantastic goal. You don’t need to be a journalist or a coach to understand – it was a very beautiful goal. We’ve seen such goals before with Phil Foden as well."

Goalkeeper James Trafford also caught Guardiola’s attention. The coach stressed that only a goalkeeper should play in goal, pointing out that the opportunity given to Trafford was well-deserved. He mentioned that he considers Trafford a top-level goalkeeper and emphasized the importance of trusting every player in the team.

— "A goalkeeper should only play as a goalkeeper – he cannot be a left-back. Donnarumma is playing in this position now, but today I gave Trafford an opportunity. He is a top-level goalkeeper. I want to give chances to everyone."

Additionally, Guardiola expressed satisfaction with the performances of Rico Lewis, Abduqodir Khusanov, Nathan Aké, and Mukasa. He stated that their gameplay aligned well with the team system and that they executed their tasks excellently.

— "Today, Rico, Khusanov, Nathan, and Mukasa played very well. I am pleased with their performances."

Addressing certain issues during the match, the coach admitted that the pressing in the first 10–15 minutes was not intense enough. However, he noted that control over the game was later established thanks to the movements of Oscar Bobb and Savinho. The substitutes also brought new energy and impact to the game.

Regarding Oscar Bobb's injury, Guardiola spoke cautiously. He mentioned that the player experienced muscle pain, potentially a hamstring issue, and expressed hope for his quick recovery.

The episode concerning a potential red card for Abduqodir Khusanov was humorously addressed by the coach. Guardiola jokingly remarked, "Tomorrow at training, I’ll invite him for coffee, and we’ll talk about it."

Thus, Manchester City has once again advanced to the semi-finals, and Guardiola did not hide his satisfaction with the team’s overall performance, the impact of the substitutes, and the effort put into achieving the victory.

Shuhrat Razzakov

Editor of «ZAMIN.UZ»