Guardiola: bad surface saved us
BALL BOBBLED AS LAMELA PULLED TRIGGER
Pep Guardiola praised his side for grinding out a 1-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur on a shoddy Wembley pitch on Monday and said the poor playing surface may have saved his side.
City had failed to build on the sixth-minute lead given to them by Riyad Mahrez and looked as though they might pay when Erik Lamela sized up a great late chance.
The Argentine looked poised to equalise for Tottenham as the ball was played to him by Dele Alli but it appeared to bobble slightly and Lamela blazed the chance over.
City’s sixth consecutive clean sheet in the Premier League took the defending champions back to the top, above Liverpool on goal difference.
“It was not football conditions to play. We reacted well. For our players and the players of Tottenham, hopefully they will sort the problem for the future,” Guardiola said of a surface sporting gridiron lines, divots and a huge faded-out NFL logo in the centre circle after Sunday’s NFL game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars.
“To play a football match on that pitch is not easy. There were many mistakes that don’t normally happen. It was something incredible. I don’t think the grass helped them either.
“If the grass is good then Lamela, a player of his quality with his left foot, scores. If (it) hadn’t bounced (badly), not good.”
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino tried to play down the state of the surface at Tottenham’s temporary home, although he also said it played a part in Lamela’s glaring miss.
“When the ball was going to Erik I said ‘goal’ but no, watching the replay, the ball just bounced before his boot and that is why he missed,” Pochettino said.
Had Lamela scored it would have been a morale-boosting point for Tottenham, who despite earning their best points haul from their opening nine Premier League matches, are clearly not firing on all cylinders so far this season.
“I think it was a great game in difficult circumstances. I feel very proud,” Pochettino, said.
“The effort was fantastic we competed really really well. It is a shame we conceded after five minutes but the team was good. I am happy with the performance.” –