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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola praised his team as “supermen” after their 1-0 victory against Bournemouth narrowed the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool to just one point.
The winners had to face challenges such as nearby fireworks, an underperforming Erling Haaland, and a strong attack from the opposing team in the second half. Despite this, they were able to achieve their 15th win in 17 games on the southern coast.
City secured a 1-0 victory over Brentford midweek, but it was not their most impressive performance. This was enough for them to take advantage of Liverpool’s absence due to their participation in the Carabao Cup final this weekend. Phil Foden scored a tap-in in the first half, securing the win for City.
According to Guardiola, they are extraordinary individuals.
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“I am at a loss for words. The requests for the schedule, for all aspects, for the level of expectation, are incredibly high. Despite having faced many challenges and played numerous games over the years, I always thought they would eventually falter and not be able to sustain their performance. However, I am consistently surprised by their ability to exceed my expectations.”
I inform them that this is not typical. For a long time, they have had only three days between games, while Bournemouth has a full week to prepare for one game.
We have seven days to dream about beating the best team in the world, and only three days to prepare for it.
“There are many competitions, but we are still participating and I am passionate about it. We are still in the running.”
“I am unsure of when we will reach our goals in all competitions, but we have made it this far. Considering where we started, it is truly incredible.”
The game began well for City at Vitality Stadium and Haaland missed a shot in the ninth minute. This was the first of many missed chances from the current top scorer in the division.
Neto, the goalkeeper for Bournemouth, prevented Haaland’s next chance after receiving a lofted pass from Mateo Kovacic. However, Foden was able to score from close range, marking his 16th goal of the season.
The visitors were unable to build upon their previous actions and instead, it was the Cherries who ended the first half with a strong finish, as Ederson managed to deflect Ryan Christie’s powerful shot.
Iraola’s team continued to dominate and had a chance to equalize in the 55th minute when Semenyo’s cross found Tavernier, but he didn’t strike the ball cleanly and Dias was able to head it away.
Shortly after, Taverner took another shot that missed its mark. Then, with 23 minutes remaining, Ederson managed to save Dominic Solanke’s header from close range.
I believe that the actions of the City are quite challenging. They have gained the knowledge to strategically reach their peak performance during the season.
Bournemouth kept up their effort to equalize and, following a missed shot by Dango Ouattara, their last chance came in stoppage time with January addition Enes Unal. However, he was unable to head Semenyo’s cross into the goal, resulting in their seventh consecutive match without a win in the league.
Iraola commended his team and showed respect to the victorious City, who are still in the running to secure their sixth Premier League championship in the past seven years.
Iraola acknowledged that we demonstrated our ability to compete with one of the top teams in the world, if not the absolute best, which makes me happy.
Clearly, the players have given their maximum effort.
“It is undoubtedly challenging for City to maintain their current level of performance. Playing intense games every three days requires a lot from the players, but they are accustomed to it and have the necessary experience.”
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The team has the ability to utilize various players and maintain a consistent level of performance. Additionally, I believe they have acquired the knowledge of when to perform at their best during the season.
“They are aware of their abilities and will strive to reach the highest level when needed. Through experience gained during previous seasons, they have learned how to succeed.”
Source: independent.co.uk
