Pep insists City will bounce back stronger after defeat
Pep Guardiola has vowed that Manchester City will “come back stronger” from their Champions League defeat by Chelsea.
City boss Guardiola was forced to defend his surprise selection call by opting not to field a defensive midfielder in Saturday’s 1-0 loss in Porto.
Il kay Gun dog an featured in a deep role, with Fern and in ho and Rodri overlooked in what proved a costly roll of the dice.
Guardiola insisted he had made the best possible call on the night at the Estadio do Dragao, but his wait for a personal third Champions League crown will now run into 11 years. City fell at the final hurdle in their maiden Champions League show piece battle, with the likes of Kevin De Bruy ne and the departing Sergio Aguero visibly distraught in defeat.
“It was an exceptional season for us, it was a dream being here,” said Guardiola.
“Unfortunately we couldn’ t win. I tried the best selection to win the game. The players know it. I think Gundogan played good and we were exceptional. If now we analyse the game of course we are sad. Congratulations to Chelsea. But we have to learn from this, and we will learn for the future. Unfortunately we couldn’ t win, but we will come back stronger for the future.”
Guardiola’s domestic success with City is way beyond rep roach, with the club having completed a Premier League and Carabao Cup double this term.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel still believes City are the team to catch when it comes to the Premier League, even despite the Blues’ Champions League triumph. But Guardiola was brought to City in 2016 with the clear mission of conquering Europe, and that quest continues.
The Catalan coach insisted on Friday that City’s set-up provides a manager with“everything he needs” to be successful.The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has two years left on his contract and is determined to stay at the helm.
And when he gets back to work after the close-season break he will doubtless be dip ping into the transfer market.
The major summerof Harry Kane and Er ling Haaland will loom large, with City determined to recruit a blue-chip goalscorer.
Aguero leaves the club and the Argentina star could easily be followed out of the door by a number-of-first-teamregulars.