Guardiola hails team for ‘sticking together’

PEP GUARDIOLA lauded Manchester City’s togetherness as they responded to Liverpool’s early victory and maintained a one-point lead in the title race.

Jurgen Klopp’s side piled the pressure on the defending champions by beating Newcastle United at lunchtime before City swept Leeds United aside at Elland Road.

City ran out four-goal winners — Rodri, Nathan Ake, Gabriel Jesus and Fernandinho scoring — but had to weather heavy first-half pressure.

‘They respond really well and stick together in the bad moments,’ Guardiola said. ‘We had to suffer. Aymeric [Laporte] and Ruben [Dias] were fantastic. An incredible result. The pressure is not too complicated to analyse. They play before, they are going to win all games. We’ve expected that for a long time.

‘All we have to do is win our games. When that happens, they are going to congratulate us. If it doesn’t happen, we are going to congratulate them’

Guardiola added: ‘Today I felt the Elland Road crowd and why this [stadium] is so special. At the end, 4-0 down and fighting to stay up, they are chanting their support. This was important for us because we have a final game in Madrid [on Wednesday] to reach the Champions League final and then we can just focus on the league for four games.’

Leeds boss Jesse Marsch criticised referee Paul Tierney by claiming City were given the majority of 50-50 calls. Marsch was booked for protesting.

‘If the ref is not behaving in a way I think is appropriate and I ask for things to change and they don’t change, then I must change my behaviour to change his,’ he said.

‘After my yellow I don’t think it’s a coincidence City get the next yellow.

‘The big clubs get the calls, so you have to fight.’

Marsch added that the Leeds performance ‘felt like a win’ and he believes they have enough to beat the drop despite Burnley’s dramatic late win at Watford.

The American’s cause was not helped by losing both Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas with knee injuries. Dallas will miss the remainder of the season.

‘We knew this wasn’t going to be easy,’ Marsch said. ‘But we are up for it. Their desire gives me a lot of optimism and confidence. Our players are so committed to making these fans proud and keeping us up. We’ll just keep going.’