Guardiola: Haaland is the Guarantee of Victory, Failure to Score a Second Goal Indeed Due to Opponent’s Performance

On October 27, in the 9th round of the Premier League, Manchester City secured a 1-0 victory over Southampton at home. After the match, Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola stated that the reason for the narrow win was not due to their own performance but because of the excellent performance of the opponent.

Guardiola praised Southampton’s performance: “The opponents adopted an excellent approach to the game. They worked hard to keep the ball and prevent our progress. They are one of the teams in the Premier League that are best at this defensive style.”

Guardiola indicated that scoring only one goal was not due to a lack of effort: “The opponents did not create many chances, while we created several opportunities. Unfortunately, we were unable to score a second goal. This was not because we were complacent on the field; we played to our level, and it was indeed the excellent performance of the opponents.”

Guardiola praised Erling Haaland, who scored the winning goal: “In this match, he had a tough time. Every cross we made seemed like a punishment for him, as he was constantly being interfered with and pulled by the opponents. Although we created several opportunities, we failed to score a second goal. However, Haaland stepped up and became the guarantee of our victory.”

Guardiola also spoke about other players: “Savigno was everywhere on the field, creating several opportunities. Núñez, although playing out of position, performed well both offensively and defensively, and even provided an assist to Haaland. Kovačić continued to perform well, and he is very important to us during Rodri’s injury absence.”

Next, Manchester City will face Tottenham away in the EFL Cup, and Guardiola stated that he will not rush injured players back: “It is unlikely that any injured players will return for this match. With such a congested schedule, the EFL Cup can be used to assess young players.”