Guardiola on Manchester City result: “You can criticize me, I deserve it”

Even from far away from the technical area, Guardiola suffered as much as anyone as City stumbled. After the 1–1 draw with West Ham, which the Citizens could not break despite pushing hard throughout the second half, the Manchester City manager barely put his phone down. Calls from the stands to the bench were constant.

From high in the London Stadium, serving a suspension for this match and another to come against Liverpool in the FA Cup, the Spanish coach swatched two points slip away. Potentially, half the Premier League title race with them. Minutes before West Ham–Manchester City kicked off, Arsenal had already beaten Everton 2–0.

Guardiola said after the match that he had not even seen his players before kickoff because he had been in the stands having a beer and watching the warm-up from afar. Asked whether the squad knew about Arsenal’s late goals earlier in the day, he admitted it would have been better for City if the leaders had not extended their advantage further, but stressed that results elsewhere are part of football.

Mikel Arteta’s side now holds a nine-point lead over Manchester City. City do still have a game in hand and will host Arsenal later in the season at the Etihad Stadium, but the title race has become significantly more complicated for Guardiola.

Opta notes that only one team in Premier League history has won the title after trailing by more than nine points with 30 or more matches played: Manchester City in the 2013–14 season.

Guardiola himself even joked that he deserved criticism for his team selection, saying the media could attack his lineup. At the same time, he acknowledged that he is still trying to find the right balance to bring stability and consistency to the team.

The City manager admitted the team clearly needs Haaland’s goals, but argued the bigger issue is that City must create more chances overall.

Guardiola also highlighted the impact of the many new players in the squad, arguing that maintaining consistency over 90 minutes has been difficult. He pointed to missed chances, such as a late opportunity for Sávio against Nottingham Forest, as examples of moments that have cost the team points.

Asked whether City have deeper issues beyond finishing, Guardiola suggested there are always things he could have done better tactically, including possibly being more aggressive earlier in matches.

Guardiola also pointed out that breaking down deep defensive blocks is always difficult, something he expects to face again against Real Madrid. While he noted that Madrid’s counterattacks are far more dangerous than West Ham’s, he praised the London side’s strength on set pieces.

Ultimately, Guardiola said his players gave everything. City created more than twenty shots, but simply failed to convert enough of them.

Guardiola admitted the nine-point gap to Arsenal makes the title race far more difficult.

However, the manager still pointed out that his side has a game in hand and will face Arsenal at home later in the season. Because of that, he insisted he remains optimistic.

The manager said he had not spoken to Haaland and had received no concerning update from the medical staff. From his vantage point in the stands, he saw the forward running normally again late in the match, which suggested it was not a serious problem.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Guardiola rejected the suggestion that the title race is finished.

He insisted City still have an “incredible team” with strong spirit and pointed to the effort his players showed recently, including the demanding trip to Madrid. According to the City boss, the team’s performances against Nottingham Forest and West Ham were much better than the results suggest.

Guardiola admitted the decisive difference has been finishing. City have had the quality to score but have not taken enough of their chances.

Nine points, he acknowledged, is a large gap to Arsenal, but he insisted City must keep trying until it is mathematically impossible.

Speaking later to BBC Match of the Day, Guardiola again described the draw as a summary of City’s season.

The team, he said, has not scored enough goals and that has cost them points repeatedly. City cannot sustain the intensity of the final 20 minutes for a full match, especially with the demanding schedule that includes European travel.

City, he concluded, controlled large portions of the match against West Ham but lacked the sharpness in the final third needed to turn possession into goals.

This season, they have not. But according to Guardiola, the title race is still alive — at least for now.