Premier League: Declan Rice, Guardiola’s most expensive setback
Pep Guardiola is desired by everyone for his incredible sense of play. And if the Spaniard always brings something extra to his teams, it’s because he can read between the lines, which he did last Thursday against Chelsea. Better still, he didn’t wait to call himself a genius, since it was those changes that gave his team the win, which is normal since it’s his job.
Changes: “I’m a genius. At the last press conference, it was Jamie Jackson (Guardian journalist), my friend, and he asked me why you made a substitution after 87 minutes against Everton. I took notes, thought about it at half-time and changed it? Every manager tries to get substitutes to improve the team. Sometimes you see a team that is losing, but playing well, why are we going to change if I feel we are doing well, why are we going to do that? ” .
First half: “Today, after 20 minutes, I realize that I don’t like what I see. Why do we have to wait? At that point, I talked to Rodo and Enzo, and I told them that we have to move something, change something, otherwise it will be more difficult. I wanted to put Riyad [Mahrez] in the first half against Chelsea. I felt very sorry for Joao [Cancelo], because he had problems in a position that is not his. Everyone saw it, from the first minute of the second half, it was a completely different Man City, a different pace, a different game, and our recovery with everyone in their positions.”
Fighting for the league title: “I told the players that we still have 63 points to play for, it’s a lot. But we have to keep proving to ourselves that it’s okay to be in this position, with four Premier League titles in five years. We have to manage in our mentality that everyone thinks that in November we are already champions. It’s not possible. The other teams don’t have that pressure.”
Motivation: “After four Premier League in five years, it’s not easy to put pressure on them again. That’s why I’m happy that after what happened in the last few years, we are here. We would have preferred to be closer, but the way Arsenal has played so far, they deserve to be here.”
Rico Lewis: “This kid has the ability and quality to not only play well, but to make his teammates better. That’s very hard to find. When he came in, Rodri (Hernandez) played better, Kevin (De Bruyne) played better, Riyad (Mahrez) played better. He has the talent to do it. Since we came back, he is playing. And right now he is fundamental for us. He is a key player for us, for the way we play now. He changed the game with his dynamic from the first minute.
John Stones: “He’s played an amazing World Cup. He’s handled the build-up perfectly. He is playing at his best level since we arrived together at Manchester City. When his head is steady and he’s in a good mood, he’s great.”
