Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed disappointment after his team’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea, criticizing their performance in the first half while acknowledging an improved second half.
The draw leaves City in third place, four points behind Liverpool with a game in hand. Raheem Sterling’s goal was cancelled out by Rodri’s late equalizer.
Guardiola lamented, “We played incredibly in the second half. The first half was not our level. To compete against these teams, you have to play 90 minutes, not just one half.”
Midfielder Rodri echoed his manager’s sentiments, stating, “We didn’t have a great first half. We conceded another easy goal, we have to be honest with ourselves.” He also expressed frustration with the refereeing.
While Guardiola declined to comment further on the officiating, City will look to bounce back in their upcoming match against Brentford.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, on the other hand, was content with the result ahead of their Carabao Cup final against Liverpool next week.
He praised his young team’s fighting spirit and believes they are improving. “In the last three games, we’ve started to create a very good spirit,” he said, emphasizing the importance of belief heading into the final.
Overall, the body now reads more concisely and focuses on the key points: City’s disappointing draw, their manager’s criticism, and Chelsea’s positive perspective despite the result.