Pep Guardiola responded to Tuesday’s 4-1 Champions League defeat to Sporting CP and City’s third successive defeat by saying he is relishing the challenge of quickly guiding the team back to winning ways.
Match Chronicle
City lose to Sporting in Lisbon
City started with a bang at the Estádio José Alvalade, deservedly taking the lead thanks to Phil Foden’s fourth-minute goal and then wasting a series of other chances.
But the game was turned upside down when Viktor Gyokeres equalized late in the first half for Ruben Amorin’s side in what was the Sporting manager’s final home game before he left to take charge of Manchester United.
Sporting then scored two goals in 90 seconds at the start of the second half through Maxi Araujo and a Gyokeres penalty to take control of the game.
Erling Haaland saw his penalty hit the crossbar before Sporting striker Gyokeres sealed the victory late on by completing his hat-trick thanks to his second penalty of the night.
It was their first Champions League defeat this season and the third defeat in a week for City following 2-1 defeats to Spurs and Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup and Premier League.
It also marked the first time Guardiola’s side had lost three consecutive games since April 2018.
But speaking to the press afterwards, the boss said his focus and energy had been trained solely on helping his players find a quick response to the setback.
“It’s a difficult challenge, but I’m here. It will be a difficult season, we knew that from the beginning. But that’s it. I like it, I love it, I want to face it and lift my players up and try”, declared Pep.
“Life is like that. Maybe the last six Premier Leagues in seven years and four in a row is an exception. Sometimes you lose.”
“Today we were very good. Bournemouth, no, they deserved it. We played very poorly against Bournemouth and we played very well today.”
“I know how we performed today, how good we were, and as a young central defender (Jahmai Simpson-Pusey), what an exceptional game he played.”
“When you lose 4-1, what can I say? My team, I like it, we were close to making it 3-0.”
“The stadium was calm, but in one action we lost simple things with quality players and things that normally don’t happen. When you’re so close to making it 2-0 and then it’s 3-1, it’s difficult for the players, I understand.”
“I have to try to find an explanation. Sometimes it’s just football.”
“We have to accept it. That’s life, that’s sport. Everyone has to be better and better and better and we will find that.”
“We are alive in all competitions and will continue.”
“We are going back to Manchester to prepare for the game against Brighton. I won’t give up. Maybe people are waiting, but I’m not giving up.”
