Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been impressed by the last two performances of his team
Pep Guardiola has seen Manchester City acting like a ‘big team’ in the last six weeks as their hunt for multiple trophies continues.
Their lengthy winning streak may have ended at Southampton but City have marched on in the Premier League and FA Cup by showing a resilience that has not always been apparent.
Just as they had done against Arsenal on New Year’s Day and at St Mary’s more recently, City conceded the first goal on Saturday as Fulham showed why they have been so lethal on the Championship.
And just as they had in those previous matches, Guardiola’s side dug in and took something from the game — in this instance a win that booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
City’s ability to come from behind is not tested regularly because they are able to control so many of the games they play, but their recent responses have been encouraging ahead of the business end of the season where the pressure — and the quality of opponent in the Champions League — increases.
The response when things aren’t going their way is a trait that Guardiola places a high value on when judging players. Based on the last few weeks, the former Barcelona and Bayern coach has seen a ‘big team’ fight their way back from setbacks in a manner that he believes will be needed again before the season is out.
“I don’t care how well the players play if it’s 3-0 or if we are playing good,” he said. “We try and play and train and talk and videos and whatever to try to play maximum at 100 per cent, but sometimes most of that doesn’t happen.
“How you react in the bad moments, this is what the big teams do. This is what I want to see.
“The reaction in Southampton was exceptional. When I say how good it was I do it because I give value to the opponents, and Southampton is a top side and Fulham is and I know how hard it is to play against them.
“For me it’s sometimes more important than winning 4 or 5 or 6-0. It’s how we react in the bad moments in 90 minutes. This is a lesson we learn for 90 minutes because against adversity you don’t get what you deserve. It’s not a problem. In the next game it’s the same.
“One day when you fight against adversity you will get what you deserve but I want to win because when I deserve to. I want to win always of course but I want to win when we deserve it and for that you have to do it better and better and in the bad moments show resilience and be there.
“In the last two games I have no complaints because Fulham can create incredible chances and we are able to do what we have done. I am very pleased.”
