(Reuters) – Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, credited their participation in the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia for helping the team regain focus. This was evident as the team secured a 3-1 comeback victory over Everton in their first Premier League match since the tournament.
Following their Club World Cup triumph, City’s goals by Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez and Bernardo Silva propelled them back into the top four of the league standings. They now sit in fourth place with 37 points from 18 games, just five points behind the leaders, Liverpool, although they have played one game less.
Guardiola acknowledged the challenges the team faced prior to the Club World Cup, with defeats to Aston Villa and draws against Tottenham and Crystal Palace. However, he was pleased with the mentality displayed by the players during the match against Everton.
Speaking about the team’s mindset, Guardiola said, “I remember on the plane coming back from Saudi Arabia, I listened to the players when they didn’t know I was listening, and they started to talk about Everton. I said ‘wow, this is my team’. I have the feeling they still want to try.”
Guardiola also addressed the criticism the team has faced, stating, “We play many games this season and people say we are not the same. We have lost one of the last 13 (excluding the Club World Cup). We don’t talk enough about how good we are.”
While the victory over Everton was a positive, it came at the cost of defender John Stones being forced off due to an injury against his former club. Guardiola expressed concern about the injury, stating, “It doesn’t look good, but we will see. It’s his ankle.”
The absence of injured playmaker Kevin De Bruyne and Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has been felt by the team, with Guardiola hoping for their return. “He (Haaland) feels better, but he hasn’t made one training session with us,” he said. “Hopefully, in January, he can come back with us. Kevin is close… we have to be careful. If you don’t handle the timings good, you can get injured again.”
Looking ahead, City will host promoted Sheffield United in their next fixture on Saturday.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
