Guardiola Comes Clean: “I Deserve the Criticism”
Manchester City are not going through their best moment. The team faces a very complicated tie against Real Madrid in the Champions League and recently drew against West Ham, a result that moves them even further away from Arsenal, who already hold a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Guardiola Takes Responsibility
In a press conference, Pep Guardiola acknowledged that he deserves the criticism he has received in recent weeks. The Catalan manager took responsibility, pointing out that player selection and tactical decisions ultimately fall on him. However, he also justified his choices, explaining that his main objective is to maintain the team’s balance and consistency.
Despite the difficult moment, Guardiola remains optimistic ahead of the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16. According to the manager, City have shown a clear improvement in their play, something he believes was evident in matches against Nottingham Forest and West Ham, even if the results were not what they had hoped for.
Pressure Mounting in the Premier League
In the Premier League, the gap with Arsenal is considerable. Although City still have a game in hand against the side managed by Mikel Arteta, they will need to keep collecting victories if they want to prevent the title race from slipping away.
It is worth remembering that the only team to overturn a deficit of nine points or more after 30 matches was Guardiola’s Manchester City, who managed to snatch the title from Liverpool during the 2013–14 season.
Confidence in Haaland and a Demanding Schedule
The current form of Erling Haaland is not causing too much concern for the Spanish coach. Guardiola explained that the issue is not the striker himself, but rather the lack of clear chances created by the team. In the Premier League, the Norwegian has not scored in his last three matches and was largely quiet in the game against Real Madrid.
Even so, Pep maintains full confidence in his star striker and insists he can make an impact at any moment if he receives the right service.
Guardiola also said he is satisfied with the commitment of his squad, although he admitted the season could be defined in the coming weeks. City face a very demanding schedule: first they must attempt to overturn the tie against Real Madrid at home; then they will play the EFL Cup final against Arsenal on March 22; and later, on April 4, they will face Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
With such a demanding outlook ahead, Guardiola chose to face the situation head-on and take responsibility for the moment his team is going through. Manchester City are now entering the most decisive stretch of the season.
