Pep Guardiola kept his Manchester City players in the dressing room for 45 minutes following their 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The manager did not begin his post-match press conference until over an hour after the final whistle, as the team conducted an inquest into their latest Premier League loss.
The defeat was City's sixth of the league season, leaving them 22 points behind leaders Liverpool. However, Guardiola insisted he was not angry with his players, pointing to their dominance until Aleks Zinchenko was sent off after an hour for a second bookable offence. City had several chances to take the lead, including a first-half penalty from Ilkay Gundogan, but failed to convert.
“I’m not angry,” Guardiola said. “When we didn’t play good or don't run or don’t fight [I'm angry]. But never when we lose am I away from my players, because I know them. We lost the game, we talk about moving forward and keep going. There’s a lot of months to play and we try to do it.”
The City boss acknowledged the team's struggles in front of goal, stating: “This business is how many goals you score and how few you concede. We try to play as good as possible. You are closer to win games when you create more chances and concede few, but sometimes it’s not enough. It’s happened a few times this season and we have to accept it.”
Guardiola’s side now face an uphill battle to defend their Premier League title, with the gap to Liverpool appearing insurmountable. The focus shifts to the remainder of the season, with City still competing in other competitions.
