Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, spoke openly after leading the team to a win over Newcastle, closing in on the Premier League leaders in the latest match.
Pep Guardiola, manager of the "Sky Blues" Manchester City, said he was very happy with his players' performance after they defeated the very strong team, "The Magpies" Newcastle United, 2-1 at home in the English Premier League last night, securing important 3 points to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal to just 2 points. He also especially praised Nico O'Reilly, who scored both goals.
Pep said, "This result is very important. Newcastle is an incredible team. They have excellent strength and speed in attack, and their midfield is also very strong."
"The strength and speed they have since the Saudi Arabian investment group took over the club make their style of play very difficult to handle."
"Therefore, I am satisfied with how we played today. It was a very tough game, but the team performed incredibly."
"Seventy percent of our players have never been in a situation like this before [a close title race], so we have to adapt. They know every game will be like this."
"Today, we had the highest attendance of the year. It's incredible with our fans. I am very proud to be the manager of these wonderful people and supporters. Now we will rest for 3 days; we need it, and then we will continue playing against Leeds."
Speaking about Nico O'Reilly: "Nico provides the physical strength in midfield that we need. He is well-rounded and still very young. I’m truly happy that the academy has produced such outstanding players like Nico, Phil Foden, and Rico Lewis."