Guardiola urges City to learn not to switch off after thriller
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has urged his players to learn the lessons of a madcap seven-goal thriller at Newcastle as they turn their attention to the Champions League final.
The Premier League champions eventually came out on top 4-3 at St James’ Park on Friday evening, and Guardiola admittedthereleaseoftension andtheexcitementofwinning the title had perhaps been a distraction.
He said: “It will be a good lesson, especially for Brighton and Everton and the final. We have to try to avoid it, but I can understand it completely because there has been a lot of tension during the last month with the Champions League quarter-final and semi-final and the league to try to finish.
“People say before, ‘It’s done, it’s done, it’s done’, but it’s just done when it’s really done.Butthewayandthespirit fromthefirstminute,howthey ran for 90 minutes, how they fought for every single ball, how many good things, good goals and a good victory.
“Now we are 13 points clear of United, so they are incredible numbers.”
City had to battle for everything they got on Tyneside after defender Emil Krafth headed the Magpies into the lead, and they were level six minutes before the break through Joao Cancelo’s defected strike and ahead three minutes later courtesy of Torres’ audacious flick.
Joelinton levelled from the
spot six minutes into stoppage time at the end of the first half andandWillockconvertedthe rebound after his 62nd-minute spot-kick had been saved by Scott Carson – playing his first Premier League game in
10years–onlyforTorrestostab home a 64th-minute equaliser and then win it two minutes later after Cancelo’s shot had come back off the post.
Guardiola said: “It was a brilliant game for both sides.
Unfortunately, there were no people in the stadium. (Newcastle are) an incredibly tough opponent like in the last years and always we struggle a lot to beat Newcastle.
“They are so physically strong and they defend so deep with many, many players and after that, they have clever runs, Saint-Maximin and Joelinton and of course Almiron and Willock, so a top, top side.
“Yes, we conceded three goals from set-pieces, but I would say it’s normal after winning the Premier League and being distracted for one or two days and then just one trainingsession.Thisnormally happens.”