“I will tell him to just play his game and enjoy himself since Saka’s won’t play against us”- Man City manager Pep Guardiola has threatened to use ONE player to smash ‘tactical-less Arteta’, who can’t win a game without Bukayo Saka.
Pep Guardiola issues a message to Arsenal following Manchester City’s victory over RB Leipzig.
Pep Guardiola says he never doubted his Manchester City team after they came back from two defeats to overcome RB Leipzig – and he can’t wait to face Arsenal.
The triple winners were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Newcastle last week before falling to Wolves in the Premier League at the weekend.
In the Champions League on Wednesday night, they traveled to Leipzig, where they had failed to win in their previous two visits, and provided a fantastic performance, dominating the encounter en way to a 3-1 triumph.
After Lois Openda equalized just after halftime, there were a few nervous moments, but replacements Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku both scored off the bench to secure the three points late on.
Now, City go to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to face championship rivals Arsenal, and Guardiola was upbeat ahead of the game, claiming he has always had complete faith in his team despite recent dismal results and plans to play ‘our game’ in north London.
Asked about the necessity of delivering such a solid performance ahead of facing Arsenal, Guardiola told TNT Sports: ‘Yeah, but I’m not going to judge my team on results.
‘Both games [against Newcastle and Wolves] were not perfect, but it’s not easy when 10 players defend in the box.
It’s not easy to defend with ten players, five players, four players, a striker, and a holding midfielder all in the box!
‘So it happened, we were unlucky with the first goal, we were not sharp enough, it occurred,’ says the coach. I can understand it because there are numerous games.
‘However, if you think I’m going to mistrust the players or what we’re going to do this season because we could have lost again today, you’re mistaken. You are not the appropriate person to answer these questions.
I trust these players absolutely, whether they win or lose, because I know their training sessions and mentality, and they prove it.
‘And now we’re off to Arsenal to play our game. Rest, and perhaps we’ll be there [in the title chase] in March, April, and May, close to the tournaments.
‘And I have a sense we will be a difficult opponent to beat.’
Guardiola also singled out teenager Rico Lewis for special praise after the win over Leipzig, calling him ‘excellent,’ and he might start in midfield against Arsenal in place of the suspended Rodri.
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