MANCHESTER CITY BOSS PEP GUARDIOLA LEFT FRUSTRATED AFTER LATEST SETBACK
Manchester City’s hopes of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League suffered a significant blow after a disappointing defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest. The 1-0 loss, courtesy of a late Callum Hudson-Odoi strike, has left City boss Pep Guardiola searching for answers.
In his post-match assessment, Guardiola acknowledged that his team had struggled to create meaningful chances, despite dominating possession. “Tight game. We controlled the transitions really well. We could not have enough chances but defended really well,” he said.
The Spanish tactician also highlighted the lack of precision in the final third, which ultimately proved costly. “In the first half, we had chances to shoot that were not precise. And that ended in one transition, we lost the ball, and in transition, they scored.”
Guardiola’s decision to make changes during the game failed to yield the desired results, and he was quick to deflect attention away from his substitutions. “It’s everyone. It’s not for the changes. They defended very well, and we could not find precision in the last moment.”
With 10 games remaining in the season, Guardiola is under no illusions about the task at hand. “We have 10 games to win games to qualify, and we are going to the next round.”
The City boss also praised his team’s defensive efforts, which have been a hallmark of their success in recent seasons. “We conceded really, really few. Defensive, we were really good. The reason was not the highest one. The game was tight.”
Meanwhile, Guardiola expressed his satisfaction with the progress of Abdukhodir Khusanov, who has been impressing in recent outings. “He’s played really well.”
As the battle for Champions League qualification intensifies, Guardiola acknowledged that the competition is fiercer than ever. “We knew it would be difficult before it arrived, and of course, the Champions League and Premier League every year is getting better.”
With City’s top-four hopes hanging in the balance, Guardiola will be hoping that his team can rediscover their winning form and make a strong push for a Champions League spot.