Arsenal title hopes BOOSTED by Man City beating Spurs for four reasons
Manchester City V Tottenham Hotspur in pictures
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Manchester City produced a breathtaking comeback to defeat Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday. But Pep Guardiola’s exasperated post-match press conference laid bear a handful of shortcomings that will only motivate Arsenal more in the Premier League title race.
The manager’s message in the matchday programme is a tradition in English football and a chance to review the last game and preview the test ahead.
But Guardiola’s Tottenham notes read entirely different after he addressed the media, frustrated with what he considered another below-par performance, as they did before kick-off.
It serves as a damning reminder that Man City are there for the taking, and this is Arsenal’s title to lose.
Express Sport compares four segments of his programme notes to contrasting comments after full-time, painting a startling picture.
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A lack of fight
In his pre-match notes, Guardiola explained that to beat an Antonio Conte team, you have to ‘fight for absolutely everything’.
And the Catalan coach added that his players ‘would do that [last night]’. However, he had a different attitude post-match, frustrated with his side’s lack of fight.
Guardiola suggested that because City have won relentlessly in recent years, while Arsenal haven’t lifted the Premier League title since 2004, the Gunners show more fight and desire.
He said: “We have the problem that we have four Premier Leagues in five years, and Arsenal have two decades without the Premier League, except Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
“Every ball and every action and every corner and every duel, it [the fight] is there. We miss it. We don’t have it.
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‘Arsenal will beat us’
In the programme, he also acknowledged City’s improvement in the second half of Saturday’s Manchester derby, despite a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford.
He demanded ‘good performances and lots of personality’ from his players’ as he saw against Manchester United.
However, after the Tottenham win, he feared that Arsenal would ‘destroy’ the Citizens in the title race if they continued playing like ‘happy flowers’. A quote for the ages, no doubt.
“We’re a happy flowers team. Happy flowers… ah, it’s good. No, I don’t want to be a happy flower. I want to beat Arsenal. But if we play in that way, Arsenal will destroy us,” Guardiola warned.
“Arsenal will beat us. I want to see my team. We are far away from the team we had in previous seasons. I’m incredibly happy [to beat Spurs], but if we don’t change, we are not going to win anything.”
Lucky to avoid a loss
“I recognise the team from what we have done for many, many years and to the last day I am here, it will be like this.”
That’s what Guardiola wrote in the matchday programme. But witnessing more slack errors and another slow start against Spurs prompted the frighteningly contrasting words in his press conference.
He lamented: “I don’t recognise my team. They [previously] had the passion and desire to run…
“We are far away from the team we had in previous seasons. Do you think this comeback will happen every time? It won’t.
“Today, we were lucky. If we want to win something or compete – but complaining, complaining, complaining – no chance we will win anything.”
“Do you think we are going to chase the gap to Arsenal the way we are playing? No way.”
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Frustration with fans
Guardiola didn’t just save his criticism for the players. The City boss also ripped into the Etihad Stadium crowd, who booed the hosts off at half-time after falling 2-0 behind.
In his programme message, directed at the fans, he noted: “One thing I know for sure is we need you guys behind us.”
But Guardiola didn’t forget or hold back, despite a joyous end to the evening, blasting the home supporters for their ‘silence’ in the first half.
“[We were lacking in] guts, passion, fire, desire to win from minute one. The same with the fans. They were silent for 45 minutes. I want my fans back,” he moaned.
“The fans – they come here, and we have to give them. They expect, ‘Oh, we’re Manchester City. We have to do it.’ No, we don’t have it right now.
“Our fans have to push us, demand more, have to shout, ‘Come on guys, I know how good you are. You have to show us!’
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