Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has, late on Thursday, grabbed the headlines courtesy of a remarkable post-match rant.
Guardiola, of course, guided his troops back into action a short time ago.
Fresh off a damaging derby defeat at the hands of Manchester United, the Sky Blues welcomed Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad, aware that nothing but a victory would suffice amid ongoings efforts to hunt down Premier League table-toppers Arsenal.
And, when all was said and done, return to winning ways is precisely what City went on to do, courtesy of goals on the part of all of Riyad Mahrez (2), Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland.
COMEBACK COMPLETE!! ✅
MAN CITY NOW LEAD 3-2!! ⚡ pic.twitter.com/z3UgxsPZnR
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 19, 2023
Their eventual three-point haul, though, only came about courtesy of a chaotic comeback.
With 45 minutes on the clock in Manchester, City actually trailed Spurs by two goals to nil, culminating in audible boos and jeers spreading across the Etihad upon the half-time whistle bringing a halt to proceedings.
Speaking to the media post-match, Pep Guardiola was in less than celebratory mood.
In fact, quite the opposite proved the case, as City’s usually levelheaded tactician first embarked on nothing short of a rant against his players:
“[Lacking in] Guts, passion, fire, desire to win from minute one. I don’t recognise my team, they [previously] had the passion and desire to run…
“We are far, far away from being able to compete at the highest level.
“We have an opponent in Arsenal who have the fire. Two decades without winning the Premier League. I am explaining the reality, everything is so comfortable [at Man City] but opponents don’t wait. Do you think we are going to chase the gap to Arsenal the way we are playing? No way.
“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.
“We are a happy flowers team, all nice and good. I don’t want to be happy flowers, I want to beat Arsenal. If we play in that way, Arsenal will destroy us.”
And Guardiola was not done there.
Turning his attentions towards the atmosphere inside the Etihad, or rather lack thereof, City’s boss then took aim at the club’s fanbase, in remarking:
“They are silent for 45 minutes. I want my fans back!”
“I’m here and I just listen to Spurs fans… There is a tendency with human beings when you’ve won a lot… We have to give it to them.”
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