PEP GUARDIOLA REACTS TO ERLING HAALAND MAGIC AS CITY BLANK EVERTON
Pep Guardiola demanded more goals from his other attackers after Erling Haaland's brace beat Everton. The Man City boss warned the team cannot rely solely on Haaland, challenging his wingers and midfielders to step up.
Pep Guardiola had a fiery temper. Erling Haaland of Manchester City, after the Norwegian scored two goals against Everton on Saturday, marked his comeback to the Premier League.
Naturally, he responded by praising Haaland, who has scored 11 goals in eight Premier League games. However, in the midst of jokes about Haaland failing to score five goals against the Toffees, Guardiola chastised his fellow attackers for their poor finishing abilities.
In his quest to become the fastest Premier League player to 100 goals, Haaland added two more goals to his hat trick while playing for Norway against Israel this week.
On Saturday, Man City and their star striker struggled a little before scoring fast goals at the hour mark, and he scored with his head and left foot.
After City got back from the break and settled in before two difficult away games in the Champions League—against Aston Villa on Sunday, October 26, and Villarreal on Tuesday—Guardiola had a lot to say.
Erling Haaland remains hot, Manchester City blanks Everton, and Pep Guardiola responds.
What do you think of the game? "We lacked enthusiasm and were not there with the second balls for the first 15 to 20 minutes following the international break. We had opportunities, so it was wonderful. We accept that the energy was there and that people were coming from the bench, which was a really good thing. It is preferable to get better at winning games.
What made dismantling Everton difficult? "That group is excellent. See where they are at the table. With Tarkowski's experience and the long balls, Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, and Beto are quite powerful. We knew that was a strong team. In the first part, our procedure was not flawless.
"I am really sad that Erling Haaland did not score four or five goals," the commenter said. We must acknowledge as a team that we cannot fully depend on him. He is always there, but we need other players. Without goals from wingers and attacking midfielders, we cannot win.
"To score goals, they must step up." Naturally, we must give Haaland scoring opportunities, but we also need the other players to step up. They must demand that of themselves at that level. The opportunities from Tijjani, Jeremy, and Savio as well. We must do it, or it will become more challenging.
Always him. That is what he lives for. He provides us with a lot. Our construction is far superior. Erling is currently our primary player, and the passes are delivered much more effectively.
Regarding Nico O'Reilly: "He is muscular, young, and plays a lot of minutes." Excellent. He is a tall man with some mobility in confined areas. It was demonstrated by the opening goal; the pass was flawless.
HOW PEP GUARDIOLA’S ROTATION IS SABOTAGING PHIL FODEN’S 2026 WORLD CUP DREAMS
Thomas Tuchel admits Phil Foden is "struggling" and offers no guarantee for a World Cup spot after poor England form.
Phil Foden just hasn’t found his groove with the England squad lately. After friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, manager Thomas Tuchel pointed out that Foden isn’t in top shape, and it might cost him a World Cup spot.
Even at Manchester City, Foden’s spot in the starting lineup isn’t a sure thing anymore. Still, Tuchel picked him for the internationals and put him in the starting eleven both times. Instructions first, behind Doand's instructions, and Dominic Solanke for the Uruguay match, then behind Morgan Rogers when they faced Japan. But neither game saw Foden really come alive for England.
Tuchel didn’t hide his disappointment. “He tried everything,” he said. “He was outstanding in training, but once the game started, he just couldn’t bring that same energy to the pitch.”
Tuchel also mentioned that Foden just hasn’t been getting enough minutes at City. Even so, he arrived at the training camp in good spirits and looked sharp during the sessions. “I honestly thought he’d bring that spark into the games. But he’s struggling to show what he’s capable of.”
When reporters asked if he’d really take a player who isn’t playing much for his club, isn’t in form, and hasn’t been making an impact for England, Tuchel was upfront: “Yeah, I can take him. The question is whether we actually will. There’s no guarantee he’ll make the squad.”
Now, Foden has about two months to turn things around before Tuchel names England’s World Cup squad. “I’m always learning,” Tuchel said. “Every training session, I see how the team fits, how the players respond to times applied and instructions, how quickly they catch on. Instructions were followed time and time again, and then applied during matches.”
Everything’s still up for grabs. The priority now is for the players to finish strong with their clubs, then come back ready for England training camp. That’s when Tuchel and his team will make the final calls.
DISCOVER THE REGISTRATION RULE THAT BARRED MARC GUEHI FROM MAN CITY’S FINAL
Pep Guardiola criticises EFL rules after Marc Guehi is barred from the Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal.
Marc Guehi was bursting with pride watching his Manchester City teammates receive their Carabao Cup winners’ medals. Even though he couldn’t grab one for himself, he cheered them on.
The 25-year-old missed out at Wembley in City’s 2-0 win over Arsenal. It wasn’t because he was cup-tied, even though he’d played in this competition earlier in the season for Crystal Palace before joining City in January. If that was the rule, Antoine Semenyo, who also arrived in January, would have sat out too. But that wasn’t it. Guehi simply wasn’t registered with City before the first leg of their semi-final against Newcastle, so he wasn’t allowed to play.
Semenyo got lucky. The city signed and registered him in time, so he was eligible for the showdown with Newcastle and beyond.
So, Guehi had to watch the final from the sidelines while City chased their ninth League Cup success. You could tell from his social media that he was heartbroken not to be out there. He posted a slow-mo video of the team lifting the cup at Wembley and wrote, “What a team and performance. So proud of the boys.”
Before the final, Pep Guardiola didn’t hide his irritation about Guehi’s absence. At his press conference, he said, “Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup (EFL) that Marc can play the final. I don’t understand why he can’t. Maybe we should write a letter. You buy a player for a lot of money, and he can’t play because of a rule I don’t get. Hopefully, they will change it. It’s hard to understand.”
So City relied on Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Ake at the back. Both the Uzbek and Dutch defenders were rock solid against Arsenal.
Nico O’Reilly stole the show with a pair of fantastic goals, charging forward from left-back. After the win, Guardiola was glowing: “For James [Trafford] it was his first final. Khusanov’s only been here one year; Nico O’Reilly has impressed me in his first full season, and Antoine [Semenyo] played his first final. Lots of players are having a good first taste – that’s what we need. Shows us we can do it.
“We’re much better than last season, but not quite the team we want to be yet. That takes time. Hopefully by next season or the end of this one we’ll get there.”
