Pep Guardiola revealed that he was relieved to see his Manchester City side register their first win in six matches after the reigning champions subjected Leicester City to a 2-0 defeat at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.
Savinho opened the scoring in the first half and later set up Erling Haaland’s header in the 74th minute, sealing a crucial victory for the Cityzens in a game which marked Guardiola’s 500th in charge of the defending champions.
Sunday’s win was only their second in the last 14 matches across all competitions, halting a poor run of form that has all but ruled them out of the title race. Speaking after the game, Guardiola expressed relief as his team finally ended a four-game winless streak in the league, with their last victory coming against Nottingham Forest in early December.
“I would say we needed it, all of us,” he said. “It’s not the ideal performance but in these moments it’s almost impossible.
“It’s important to win here, always we struggled. We don’t have enough energy to sustain our game for 90 minutes but hopefully this result, in the new year, will help us to bounce back from the bad results and our players will come back.
“It’s not enjoyable, it’s just relief right now. That is the real word to express the feeling that we have in all of us. It looks like we have done incredible things for many years, and now we were not able to win games. It’s just a fact of relief, but we have to improve.”
Much to the delight of Guardiola, City have managed to end the year on a positive note with the win at Leicester City. It goes without saying that they will be looking to carry this momentum into the new year as they look to turn their season around.
Heading into January, Guardiola and his men can look forward to some very winnable fixtures against the likes of West Ham United, Salford City, Brentford and Ipswich Town. However, they will also come up against a stern test against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League before hosting Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium.
Olaoluwa is a dedicated sports writer and passionate football enthusiast with two years of experience. Known for his keen analysis and commitment to the game, his work reflects a deep love for football, blending strategic insight with the emotional moments that make it a global passion. He is focused on honing his skills and consistently aims to inspire and engage readers through every article he writes.
