Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has declared that the dominant “old Manchester City” is gone for this season, but expressed confidence in the team’s future, highlighting the emergence of young talent. His comments came after a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, a win secured by Erling Haaland’s 20th Premier League goal of the season.
The victory propelled City into fourth place in the table, but Guardiola acknowledged a shift in the team’s dynamic compared to previous title-winning campaigns. “Never will be this season, the old City,” Guardiola stated. “The old City was too good. But we’ll be back.”
Guardiola pointed to the youthful composition of his squad as a key factor in this transition. He specifically highlighted the contributions of forwards Jeremy Doku, Savinho, and Omar Marmoush, as well as February signing Nico Gonzalez (expected to play a more prominent role alongside Rodri), and defender Abdukodir Khusanov, all of whom played against Tottenham. He acknowledged the importance of experienced players like Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne.
“We have a young, young team. The three up front is the future. Nico [González], when Rodri comes back, will be the future. And of course, [Abdukodir] Khusanov you are seeing it today. Josko [Gvardiol] is young so yeah, there are certain areas,” Guardiola explained. He added that new acquisitions would be key, “”We have seen this season, the young players and the new acquisitions maybe the club will do in summertime — in the next transfer window — have to lead this club for the next few years.”
While City dominated the first half against Tottenham, they struggled to maintain that control after the break, with Spurs creating several chances to equalize. A late Haaland goal was disallowed for handball after a VAR review, a decision the striker contested. “It’s because he [the referee] made the decision on the pitch, that it was a free kick,” Haaland said. “I don’t think it is, it’s clearly a big mistake, but we are humans, we make mistakes. It’s a great goal and I don’t think it’s handball but what can we do, we won, I’m happy.”
Guardiola’s comments suggest a long-term vision for Manchester City, one that relies on developing young talent and integrating new signings while acknowledging the enduring quality of their recent past.
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