PEP GUARDIOLA SLAMS WAYNE ROONEY FOR CRITICIZING MANCHESTER CITY’S "HEAVY" ARSENAL MATCH CELEBRATIONS
Pep Guardiola has fired back at Wayne Rooney over criticism of Man City's celebrations. Discover the latest on the Premier League race.
Pep Guardiola fired back at Wayne Rooney after Rooney claimed Man City celebrated a bit too wildly following their 2-1 win over Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
That match meant a lot. Beating Arsenal put City right back in the title race, and now, heading into the final stretch, it’s all up for grabs again. If City beats Burnley on Wednesday in their game in hand, they'll leapfrog Arsenal to take the top spot; just three points separate the two now.
It was Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland who delivered the goals for City, with Kai Havertz levelling for Arsenal in between. After the final whistle, City’s celebrations were full-on, and honestly, you could see why. If they had lost, the title would basically have been out of reach. Rooney, though, seemed unimpressed. On Match of the Day, he said, “If you’re an Arsenal player, you’re thinking, 'Hold on, we’re still leading.'" It was a heavy celebration; I was surprised by that.”
Guardiola didn’t mince his words in response. Ahead of the trip to Burnley, he said, “People can say whatever stupid things they want. The players celebrated like that because they know how good Arsenal are. If we didn’t win, the title race was over for us. We’re still in it. How do you not celebrate that? You have to. You respect your opponent, but you celebrate however you want. That game was a final for us, maybe not for them, but for us, it was make or break.”
Rooney added that he thinks the title race has a lot left in it. “This title race isn’t over. There’ll be more twists and turns before it’s finished. It’s going to be tight. The city has an extra game, but I still have Arsenal as slight favourites,” he said.
He’s been there before. When you’re gunning for the title, every match feels loaded. “You look at your run-in and think you’ll win this one, or that one, but it never plays out exactly like you expect,” Rooney admitted. “Between now and the end of the season, it’ll come down to whichever team handles the pressure best. That’s who’ll take the trophy.”
HOW RODRI’S GROIN INJURY IS IMPACTING MANCHESTER CITY’S HIGH-STAKES PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE CHASE.
Manchester City’s Rodri and Ruben Dias miss the trip to Burnley. Discover Pep Guardiola’s injury update and the Premier League title race.
Pep Guardiola has indicated that Rodri is unlikely to be available for Manchester City's upcoming trip to Burnley, but he tried to ease concerns that the midfielder’s groin injury might sideline him for a prolonged period during the crucial stage of the title race.
City faces a tough test on Wednesday in the Premier League when they visit Burnley, with Rodri expected to be absent and centre-back Ruben Dias still out of action.
Guardiola confirmed these setbacks as his team attempts to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal.
Rodri picked up the injury late in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium. The manager pointed out that it seems to be related to the groin.
Meanwhile, Dias hasn’t played since City’s Champions League round of 16 second leg defeat at home to Real Madrid last month.
Talking to the media on Tuesday, Guardiola gave an update: “I don’t think Rodri will be ready for tomorrow. We’ll see for the FA Cup semi-final against Southampton this weekend,” he said, adding, “Dias isn’t ready yet.”
These absences come at a pivotal moment in the Premier League title fight. Arsenal are leading with 70 points from 33 games, aiming for their first league crown since 2004. City trails by three points at 67 but has a crucial game in hand.
Although Arsenal have stumbled recently with four consecutive domestic losses across all competitions, City have regained some momentum since beating them in the Carabao Cup final last month.
Guardiola acknowledged how demanding their recent fixture schedule has been.
“It was a tough game on Sunday, both physically and emotionally. At the same time, we still have six games left. We understand exactly what’s at stake, whether we get the result or not,” he explained.
He also highlighted how challenging it is for both sides as the season reaches its climax.
“Neither team can afford to lose or drop points. It’s hard to bounce back, and our schedule is very demanding.”
Reflecting on the pursuit, Guardiola added, “For the team chasing, it’s more difficult both mentally and physically. After what happened against Arsenal, we have to go to Burnley and perform at the level required.”
MANCHESTER CITY REACH FINAL STAGES FOR TROYES SENSATION MATHYS DETOURBET THIS SUMMER
Mathys Detourbet to join Man City! See how the club beat PSG to sign the Troyes winger while eyeing a Newcastle target.
Manchester City are closing in on a deal for Mathys Tel, Troyes’ highly rated young winger. Sources tell StadiumNest that talks are heading toward the finish line, and both clubs stand to benefit, especially Troyes, who want to secure promotion this season.
Back in January, we reported that City had been looking at rising talent in their network of sister clubs. Detourbet and his teammate Christ Batola, both at Troyes, caught their eye right away.
Paris Saint-Germain have shown interest in the pair too, but City Football Group are determined to keep both players within their system.
As things stand, Detourbet is set to sign for Manchester City this summer. The plan is for him to return to Troyes on loan for next season, giving him more time to play and develop.
Troyes, sitting at the top of the Ligue 2 table and aiming to get back to Ligue 1 for the first time since 2022/23, sees this arrangement as a win. Keeping Detourbet, who has four goals and seven assists from 35 matches, gives them a better shot at promotion, even as they sell him to City.
As for the second star, 16-year-old striker Batola, he’s expected to sign a new long-term deal with Troyes, which keeps him within the City Group setup for now. The city sees him as a future option; Batola has scored nine and assisted twice in just 21 appearances this season. Locking him down keeps his talent in their circle and gives them flexibility down the road.
City is moving quickly, especially with PSG sniffing around. They look set to land Detourbet and keep Batola as a prospect, showing off the strength of their global multi-club model.
Meanwhile, in terms of immediate signings, City remain focused on landing a Newcastle United player labelled as a “dream target", though they’re also exploring other options heading into the summer transfer window.
