After starting the season with a disappointing defeat at Bournemouth, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is optimistic that Sunday’s 2-1 comeback victory over the same side will allow his team to reclaim the “soul” that has been missing in recent months.
Goals in the second half from Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush propelled City to the FA Cup semi-finals for an unprecedented seventh consecutive time, allowing them to make amends for their 2-1 loss to Bournemouth in the Premier League back in November.
This earlier defeat not only halted City’s remarkable 32-match unbeaten streak in the competition but also marked the beginning of a troubling period that saw them suffer four consecutive losses in the league.
In the aftermath, City managed to secure just one win from their subsequent eight games, severely hampering their ambitions of clinching a fifth league title in a row.
“We had quite a bit of discussion about the game we lost here to Bournemouth, which was when our decline began this season,” Guardiola explained to reporters on Sunday.
“This season, we’ve had too many performances like that one against Bournemouth, which is why we’ve struggled. The key takeaway from today is that the players have absorbed the lesson.
“I expressed to them that we cannot accept a performance like the one here in the league when fans travel for five hours. What we’ve been lacking this season is heart and soul; the fighting spirit we’ve shown for so many years.”
Guardiola remarked that since their defeat at Bournemouth, City have been making “incredible mistakes,” citing their exit from the Champions League in February due to consecutive losses to Real Madrid.
Currently, City sits in fifth place in the Premier League, having claimed just one victory in their last four league outings, which included a surprising 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest earlier this month—their first defeat to that team since 2009.
“As a unit, we lacked heart. That’s the critical element we need to recover as we head towards the end of this season and in future campaigns.
“I love playing like we did today… Just a few weeks ago against Nottingham Forest, did the team perform like this? No. Hopefully, by the season’s end, we can evolve, learn, and get ready for next season.”
City will face Forest once again in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley next month.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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