Pep Guardiola presser after draw at Everton “it’s not in our hands”
Manchester City were dealt a huge blow in their title pursuit on Monday night. Their draw against Everton puts Arsenal in control for the final match days.
It was a tricky Monday night match from Hill Dickinson Stadium and Manchester City slipped on the banana peel that was Everton with just a handful of matches to go in the Premier Leauge. They no longer control their own destiny in the title race, and Pep Guardiola knows his side need some outside help
City slip at Hill Dicinkson
It was a spectacular night of soccer from Merseyside as both Manchester City and Everton went after the three points from the very start. City took the lead right before halftime with a 43rd minute goal from Jeremy Doku but Everton would respond out of the break with two quick goals from Theirno Barry and Jake O’Brien. Barry added another in the 81st to take a 3-1 lead but Pep’s men came fighting back. Erling Haaland scored a goal to tighten things up for the final few minutes, and Doku salvaged a point with a goal in the seventh minutes of stoppage time to share the spoils.
With the draw, Guardiola’s men fall two points back of Arsenal with just four matches remaining in the league campaign. They have played one match fewer then the Gunners, but the draw puts them behind the eight ball and looking for some help from outside. “It’s not in our hands. Before it was in our hands. Now, no,” said the City boss.
While the result was disappointing, the Spanish manager was proud of the way City went into a difficult place to play, especially in the opening 45 minutes. “Really good performance,” he said to Sky Sports. “We played an outstanding first half. It was so difficult with their physicality.”
“It’s better than a loss” says Pep
City would come out of the break after taking a late 1-0 lead in the final minutes of the first half and concede three goals in 13 minutes. “Second half, they made a step up. We didn’t have as much control and we gave away the goal. After that they come back and make a proper English game, so aggressive in the duels,” said Guardiola.
While settling for just a point is devastating blow in the race for the Premier League title, Pep says his team went for all three points, but just didn’t have enough at Hill Dickinson Stadium. ”It’s better than a loss. We played to win. It just shows what the team are. We tried and we have done it.”
He concluded his presser by looking towards the future knowing his team have to pick up the 12 points that remain on the schedule and hope for some help from outside. “We have to do it in our four games that we have in the Premier League. It will be quite similar against Brentford. We will see what happens.”
City have Brentford and Crystal Palace at home before the FA Cup Final against Chelsea on the 16th of May. Then they finish off the schedule with a match at Bournemouth and a match their final match which could decide things against Aston Villa at the Etihad. Arsenal have their second leg of the Champions League semi against Atletico de Madrid from the Emirates before closing out the season at West Ham, against Burley and at Crystal Palace.
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