Man City Performance Excites Guardiola Despite Brentford Defeat

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is unperturbed by the few setbacks his team have suffered in the current 2022/2023 season and insists that overall the team have done well.

City at midday on Saturday were shocked by Brentford 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium which saw them fall five points behind Arsenal who later Saturday even overcame Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ivan Toney goal in the eighth minute of injury time sending City into the World Cup break with the bitter taste of defeat.

Toney was surprisingly left out of England’s World Cup squad.

It was a disappointing way to end the first part of the season, but Guardiola was keen to stress that overall his side have made a good start to their Premier League title defence.

“It’s been good before today,” Guardiola said of his side’s league campaign. “We go away with the feeling we lost so it’s always more difficult but this is the reality of this competition.

“We finished [first in the group] in the Champions League and Carabao Cup we are through and in the Premier League of course we are close to Arsenal that had been really good.

The second league defeat of the season leaves them with 32 points from 14 games, second place in the standings and two points behind league leaders Arsenal.

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It was a disappointing way to end the first part of the season, but Guardiola was keen to stress that overall his side have made a good start to their Premier League title defence.

“It’s been good before today,” Guardiola said of his side’s league campaign. “We go away with the feeling we lost so it’s always more difficult but this is the reality of this competition.

“We finished [first in the group] in the Champions League and Carabao Cup we are through and in the Premier League of course we are close to Arsenal that had been really good.

“Now we will be a little bit behind. It is what it is. But the second half of the season will dictate where we are.”

Arsenal have led the standings for most of the season, but plenty of neutrals insist that City are favourites to win the title. Guardiola was not having any of that, keen as ever to give rivals credit when it’s due.

“If you are first in the Premier League it is because you are the best,” Pep said. “We will try and come back and afterwards and we will try to see.”