You would think that after a comeback in a 4-2 victory for his Manchester City over Tottenham Hotspur, Pep Guardiola would be the luckiest man in Manchester. Nevertheless, the Spanish champion coach is not entirely happy, according to an interview afterwards.
City did have a field predominance, but could not express that in great opportunities. The crowd at the Etihad Stadium had already moaned about the half-time goggle stand, but things got worse. Goalkeeper Ederson wanted to play Rodri on the edge of the box, but Rodrigo Bentacur paid close attention and intercepted that pass. The Uruguayan played with his teammate Dejan Kulusevski, and the Swede punished Ederson’s blunder flawlessly.
Guardiola warns, “we were lucky today”
“We lack balls, passion, fire, the will to win from the first minute. That is also the case with the fans, they were silent for the first 45 minutes. I want my fans back,” the Spaniard grumbled. “I don’t recognize my team. They previously had the passion and willpower to run. We are a long way from the team we had in previous years. Do you think we can pull off a comeback like this every time? That is not possible,” Guardiola warns.
“We were lucky today. If we want to win something or take part but we just keep complaining, complaining and complaining, then we have no chance of winning anything,” said the Spaniard. Was there nothing to make Guardiola smile? Yes: star Riyad Mahrez, who started the comeback with a magnificent second half. “What a player,” beamed the coach. “He was on vacation before the World Cup, but the penny has dropped.”
Still, in conversation with Sky Sports, the gloom prevailed. He continued, “Do you think we will overtake Arsenal, given how we are playing? No way. In Arsenal we have an opponent who does have the fire. That club has not won the Premier League for twenty years. I explain reality. Everything is so comfortable at City, but the opponents don’t wait.”
Although Guardiola does not think that his team will come back from a big deficit every time, it is now the fifth time in a row in the competition that they still manage to score a result despite being two goals behind.
