5-4 win impossible to enjoy as coach, says Guardiola as they almost contrived to give away another lead this season.
Manchester City’s 5-4 win at Fulham ‘impossible’ to enjoy, says Guardiola.
Pep Guardiola claimed that it had been “impossible” for him to enjoy Manchester City’s 5-4 victory against Fulham that took them to within two points of the Premier League leaders Arsenal, given the extent to which his team came to squandering away a four‑goal lead.
City were 5-1 in front at Craven Cottage after 54 minutes and apparently cruising to a comfortable win. But then came an incredible fightback from Fulham.
The home team scored three goals in less than twenty-one minutes, two of which were scored by Samuel Chukwueze, a halftime substitute. The on-loan Nigeria international was brilliant and almost spurred a comeback for the ages, but City held on.
“Did you enjoy it? I lost my hair,” Guardiola said. “I thought the players were happy to work with me … it’s the Premier League. I know you’re going to ask what happened but I don’t have an answer. Football is emotion – all the goals were bad defending, we go so deep to defend these kinds of crosses, we have to occupy the spaces a bit better but we made incredible things today because I know how difficult the team is.
“It was impossible for me to enjoy it. At 5-1 maybe, but at 5-4 I was watching the clock more than the game. It was tough and it would have been tougher if we could not get the result, but I will remember I was there. At 5-1 you [the media] thought it was finished. You had written your articles. Tomorrow: ‘Manchester City are back … finally.’ And after, to the trash. You have to start again.”