PRICELESS STERLING
Winning run goes on as City fight off Terriers Car can become a coach at Reds
PEP Guardiola revealed what was said in the team-talk that turned City’s match around against Huddersfield.
A frustrating opening 45 minutes for the Blues, in which they were unable to break down the stubborn and deep-lying home defence, was compounded when they conceded from a corner just before the break.
Vincent Kompany should have done better when he headed behind and Nicolas Otamendi could do nothing as the resulting set-piece went in off his left shoulder.
Everyone waiting for City to lose a game of football sensed an opportunity, and the Huddersfield fans that secured a memorable victory over United last month were jubilant.
The Blues slammed the door on that hope immediately, though, Raheem Sterling earning a penalty in the opening minutes of the second half – just after he could have had another.
Sergio Aguero coolly slotted away the spot-kick, and a late Sterling goal ended any chance the Terriers had of taking anything away from the game. What changed, then? Not much, according to Guardiola as he pointed out that his team created more chances before the break than after it.
“We spoke about why we needed this situation to happen,” he said.
“It didn’t happen in the last month. We need to be in trouble because 1-0 down you have to live these kinds of games to arrive in the last seven to ten games fighting to win the Premier League.
“I’m not talking about winning the game, drawing or losing but just saying don’t give up, be positive all the time and be focused on what we have to do.
“The corrections from the first half were minimal because we played quite good – we created more chances than in the second half but that is the Premier League for you. I have said many times it is impossible that we will finish unbeaten because you play a lot of games every three days. But if you fight to avoid that mentally and in the way we want to play, that’s fantastic. “We deserved the win because we created more chances, we dominated, we controlled. “It is not easy to attack ten men in the box when the striker is marking Fernandinho man-to-man. The gaps were almost impossible, but we found them most of the time. “That’s why I’m so pleased. We played a real Premier League game, winter has come and it is always tough but we did it and can continue our streak. Winning or losing, it is important to be stable because we have to recover three days later.”
We played a real Premier League game, winter has come and it is always tough Pep Guardiola