Pep Guardiola said he had already forgotten their 5-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in midweek as he treasured the more difficult memories that Manchester City have picked up. City played some glorious football at the Hawthorns in midweek as they strolled to a comfortable victory but were made to work incredibly hard by another team struggling against relegation as Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United pushed them all the way at the Etihad despite conceding an early goal. While Guardiola’s teams are known for their expansive football, the manager preferred to focus on the grittier moments of their current 12-match winning run in all competitions that has propelled them to the top of the Premier League table.
Pep Guardiola said: “I remember when we started this run of victories with the Southampton game where we fought incredibly to win; in the last 20 minutes of the Brighton game when they were better and we were there fighting until the end; we won at Stamford Bridge with 14 players; we won at Cheltenham when we were 1-0 down after 80 minutes. This is what I remember now when I analyse this period, I don’t remember the 5-0 against West Bromwich or the 4-0 against Crystal Palace. Today we conceded few [chances], we defended well in the last minutes, we controlled the game. We didn’t create much but I give credit for the opponent. It’s not because we were bad.”
City’s winning run is the second-best they have managed under Guardiola but they still have some way to go to beat the 20-match club record that they achieved during the 2017/18 campaign.
