Following a convincing 3-0 victory over West Ham, Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola openly discussed the details of the match and the team's future objectives.
This success solidified the "Citizens'" second-place position in the Premier League standings. In the game, Erling Haaland scored a brace, while Tijjani Reijnders celebrated his first goal at the Etihad Stadium. This match marked City's final game before the Christmas break.
Guardiola emphasized that while the result was satisfying, the current level of performance does not guarantee the title:
— We are happy with the victory, but unless we improve our ball control, we won’t be able to seriously compete for the title in March, April, and May. This level is not sufficient yet, — said the Spanish manager.
At the same time, he expressed satisfaction with the team's overall trajectory:
— We are competing for top spots in the Champions League, we are in the semi-finals of the League Cup, and we remain in the title race in the Premier League. I told the guys, "Merry Christmas," but one thing is clear — we must continue to grow.
The coach also addressed issues within the squad:
— Rodri, Marmoush, Jeremie, Kovačić, and Rayan Aït-Nouri are absent from the field. Today, we had five players from the academy on the bench. This demonstrates how challenging the situation is.
In conclusion, Pep delivered a definitive message:
— The team has passion, hunger, and the desire to win. If the players take my instructions correctly, we will achieve our goal. But for the next step, we must be even better.
For reference, after this victory, Manchester City increased their points tally to 37 and now trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by two points. Earlier today, December 21, Arsenal defeated Everton 1-0 away, bringing their points total to 39.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
Users of Меҳмон are not allowed to comment this publication.
