Agueroooo? Oh nooooo
Guardiola says he can’t face another last-day Man City title nailbiter
PEP GUARDIOLA admitted he is praying Manchester City do not put him through another agonising final day of Sergio Aguero drama.
Guardiola watched his players stage a brilliant fightback from 2-0 down to snatch a point and knows if they beat Aston Villa next Sunday they will be crowned champions.
But Liverpool can take it to the final day if they win at Southampton tomorrow and that will bring back memories of City snatching the title with Aguero’s last-gasp winner against in 2012. City boss Guardiola said: “No please, not in that moment!
“That moment a decade ago belongs to Sergio, Roberto Mancini and all of the players who were there.”
He added: “We need to win our game to be champions. If we don’t win, Liverpool will be champions.
“But I can assure you something. In one week our stadium will be sold out and we will give them all of our lives over 95 minutes and they will give us their lives. It is an incredible privilege to have the chance with our people at home to win one game to be champions.”
But, just when you think there will not be another twist in the title race, you get another rollercoaster ride.
City were 2-0 down at halftime, then staged a secondhalf comeback.
In the end, Riyad Mahrez missed an 86th-minute penalty as West Ham keeper Lukasz Fabianski produced a sensational save and the title race goes on.
But Guardiola looked a mightily relieved man at the final whistle having seen his makeshift defence get battered by West Ham forwards Michail Antonio and two-goal Jarrod Bowen.
Veteran Fernandinho was filling in at centre half and got taken apart while Oleksandr Zinchenko also had a stinker..
The goal rush started in the 24th minute when Antonio beat Fernandinho in the air, Pablo Fornals split the City defence with a through ball as Bowen rounded keeper Ederson. Then, in the 45th minute, Antonio’s through ball released Bowen who fired past the keeper.
But City are resilient. Just four minutes after the restart Jack Grealish’s shot was deflected past Fabianski.
They were level after 69 minutes when Mahrez’s teasing free-kick was headed into his own net by Vladimir Coufal. Then Gabriel Jesus was fouled by Dawson but Fabianski saved the spot-kick from Mahrez.
The title race is still on.