City coach impressed with how his side coped under pressure despite needing to improve “many things”
Pep Guardiola believes that against Crystal Palace his Manchester City team showed the kind of resilience that wins titles.
City were second best for long spells in the first half at Selhurst Park, with Palace creating the clearer chances before Erling Haaland struck just before the interval.
Phil Foden added a second midway through the second half and Haaland sealed the result late on, but the 3-0 scoreline flattered City.
“It was a good statement for us,” Guardiola said. “I know how tough they are and winning 3-0 here is not easy.”
Fully aware of the nature of the performance, Guardiola warned that his side were still far from required standards.
“They give me a lot of signals that still we are not ready,” said Guardiola. “Not in terms of mentality, but in terms of how we approach certain games. Some players are young.”
However, City’s coach was impressed by how his side coped under pressure in both halves, saying it was the kind of mentality they had at the height of their powers only a few seasons ago.
“There are many things you have to improve, but we were ruthless when the chances arrived,” said Guardiola.
“When you win in the past, you believe everything was perfect, always easy. But among the things we achieved, we had a lot of games like today. The resilience was part of that.”
