If a team is said to be made in the image of its manager, then it was an ailing and battered Pep Guardiola who epitomized Manchester City’s latest woes on Tuesday night. Everyone seemed determined to stop a shocking regression as City raced into a three-goal lead against Feyenoord at the Etihad, only to collapse in the final 15 minutes to see the Eredivisie tie exit with a point in the League the Champions.
A streak of five consecutive defeats is at least over, but you always think about the bad news, don’t you, Pep? Guardiola emerged from the dressing room sanctum sanctorum after that game with a visible cut above his nose and a number of scratches on his forehead.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss is always keeping an eye on events on the pitch, but it was also an intriguing insight into the tension and tension currently reigning at the Etihad. The fact that he was asked to speak about his grades proves how obvious it all was to those who attended the game earlier this week.
What matters most to the City faithful is the lack of confidence that seems to be all around them at the moment. The injuries have been difficult to deal with, but for what is arguably the richest club in world football, that can hardly be considered a real mitigation. Using him as a cover only serves to underline the fact that City’s recruitment has not been up to par for many years, apart from the capture of Erling Haaland.
It speaks to the situation City find themselves in when they snapped a surprising five-game losing streak on Tuesday night and the situation has been further inflamed by the way they have done so. from Taboola sponsored links
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And what might have led to another scratching of Guardiola’s already angry head was the fact that the team that caused the dramatic late collapse at the Etihad chanted the name of the current Liverpool manager at the end of the match .
Arne Slot paid tribute to the Feyenoord fans who still adored him to show their respect, saying he had to turn on the TV at home to hear how “special” the moment was and that even if it was a message consulate reserved for his ex. boss, it will not have escaped even Guardiola, who may be forced to listen again on Sunday, but this time with a stronger accent and more Scouse.
“We’ve always had respect,” a struggling Guardiola said on Friday. “As in the past, we put up the biggest battles of all time against Liverpool, always a great consideration for this football club. Nothing changes, they have only lost one game in all competitions.” That means they are very consistent and that is really good because we have to learn from them.
“It has always been the most difficult (against Liverpool). But in recent years it has been Arsenal, but in recent years Liverpool have been the most difficult, without a doubt.”
On Sunday, Slott and his team will have the chance to pile the pressure on to 11 points as they chase a hard-fought double-digit Premier League lead over their arch-rivals.
