Manchester City was back to winning ways with their 2-0 victory over Leicester City, offering some much-needed respite to the Cityzens and relieving some of the pressure on Pep Guardiola. Fans never really turned against the legendary manager, who recently completed 500 games in charge of Manchester City, but doubts crept in about his ability to turn things around.
After the game on Sunday, City players were all smiles, and Guardiola went onto the pitch to acknowledge the efforts put in by every single one of them. When he approached Haaland, however, the Norwegian somewhat aggressively asked him to greet the Manchester City fans in the away end who were chanting “We’ve got Guardiola.”
Guardiola didn’t need to be told twice, and the City fans erupted in applause, putting an end to doubts about the ex-Barcelona boss not having the supporters’ backing.
Haaland telling Pep to go to the fans chanting “we’ve got Guardiola”🩵 (deja vu of this at Leceister in 17/18) pic.twitter.com/BzfqOTbBCG
— Guardiolita (@rodrisonfire_16) December 29, 2024
Guardiola is arguably in the toughest stretch of his storied career, having won just twice in 14 games. Manchester City is having a tough time with injuries, with 2024 Ballon d’Or Winner Rodri ruled out for the season, and Guardiola has struggled immensely to find consistency without the Spanish midfielder in his lineup.
Candid admission – Manchester City cannot win the Premier League
After City’s win over Leicester, Guardiola admitted that winning the league would not be possible because of the woeful form displayed by his players of late. Manchester City is fifth in the Premier League with 31 points, 14 behind Liverpool, who have played one game less. In an interview with BBC Match of the Day, he said,
“We are far away from winning the Premier League. We accept there’s already no chance of that, but we have other things to fight for: the FA Cup, top four, and winning games helps.”
Guardiola cited the physical and mental commitment of his players, with which he wasn’t fully satisfied despite his team’s comfortable win over the Foxes.
Manchester City’s next game will take place on 4th January, when they host West Ham United, who lost 5-0 to Liverpool on the same day, at the Etihad Stadium.
This match will be pivotal for City as they strive to regain their consistency and concentrate on securing a top-four finish. The backing from the fans will be vital as the team navigates through this challenging phase.
