PEP TALK THAT IGNITED YET ANOTHER TITLE DRIVE
Guardiola told his team if they stuck together and simply trusted their talent he knew they would win
PEP GUARDIOLA reckons his side have come alive again after staring down what he said was a title crisis.
The Manchester City boss revealed the team talk which unlocked a brilliant second-half comeback against Newcastle.
And supersub Kevin De Bruyne, whose sorcery conjured a goal of his own and an assist in a wonderful 21-minute cameo, said he was playing on willpower.
This was a big result in the title race. At half-time Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side led 2-1, and they were defending comfortably in the second half.
But De Bruyne’s introduction changed the flow of the contest.
“Talent made the difference,” said Guardiola (right). “I said that to the players at half time: ‘You are amazing – stick together and we will do it’.”
Brilliant goals on the break from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon had put Toon into an interval lead and boss Guardiola admitted he feared the worst for his City side, who had gone into the contest trailing Premier League leaders Liverpool by five points.
“In that moment we were facing a big crisis because it’s results, not performances, that are judged,” he said. “What would have been the opinion today if we had not won? It’s a business I know but I think everybody agrees we put in a really good performance.”
By the final whistle City were up to second place, two points behind Jurgen Klopp’s men. Who would bet against another of their long winning streaks, especially with Erling Haaland, Manu Akanji, John Stones and Jack Grealish all still to come back. On the big title race,
Guardiola said: “I had the feeling we still want to do it. We won three times in a row, five in the last six, so why not?
“It’s really important because Liverpool have been flying over the last month and we still have to go to Anfield so it’s better to be close to them.
“We played at St James’ Park against such a physical team in Newcastle. They made transitions, we conceded two goals when their keeper made two saves. It was the same against Spurs at home, and Crystal Palace, and also against Liverpool.”
The game oozed quality. Bruno Guimaraes’ pass to send Isak in to score was superb.
Bernardo Silva’s 26th-minute goal for City, the game’s opener, was so clever it had Fab Schar spinning around to see where the ball had gone. It had gone in the net.
De Bruyne’s introduction, his first league action since August after injury, was key.
He tried to score from a freekick with his first touch back. By his fifth touch of the game he had. The Belgian star surged forward and basically passed the ball into the net from 20 yards, delicate and accurate, through Schar’s legs, to make it 2-2.
In stoppage time, De Bruyne spotted the lively sub Oscar Bobb darting in behind Kieran Trippier and pinged an inchperfect quarterback pass for Bobb to cushion and shoot.
With De Bruyne back, and getting fitter, City will be flying when it counts. As usual.
The Belgian maestro said: “I’ve missed this. I had a big injury and I needed time. Now I know I can put in a shift for 20 or 25 minutes. I feel it in my lungs with the cold but it can’t be any better than this, can it?
“In this environment I think it was more will-power than anything else.”
City have the will to win the title again and their next three Premier League games, after the FA Cup visit to Spurs next weekend, are against sides in the bottom five of the Premier League.
But it’s the month of March that holds the key to their title hopes. In that month they must play Manchester United, Liverpool, Brighton, and Arsenal.