Pep Guardiola has defended Manchester City’s performance following their 1-1 draw against Everton, despite the growing frustration among fans and a precarious league position. The defending champions have managed only one win in their last 13 matches, leaving them 11 points adrift of league leaders Liverpool and potentially dropping to 10th by the end of the weekend.
City started brightly, with Bernardo Silva scoring the opener, but Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye equalised before halftime. Erling Haaland’s missed penalty in the second half compounded City’s woes, yet Guardiola maintained an upbeat tone during his post-match comments
“We played really well,” Guardiola insisted. “The first half was brilliant. The first 10 or 15 minutes of the second half, until the penalty, were also really good. They scored with their first real chance, and at the end, on the transition, we could have lost. But when you analyse the performance, it was brilliant given the situation we’re in.”
While acknowledging the team’s struggles to convert opportunities, Guardiola praised the effort and quality of his players. “Of course, we don’t score the goals we need. Football is about scoring and not conceding, and that’s something we’ve always done in the past. But this season, particularly over the last month and a half, we’ve not been able to do it consistently.”
City’s inability to capitalise on chances has been a recurring theme, and the missed penalty only highlighted their current struggles in front of goal. However, Guardiola remained defiant, emphasising that the team’s performance deserved more than the result reflected.
“When we play badly, I’ll say it. But today was not one of those days,” Guardiola said. “We created a lot of chances, not just the penalty. Everton is one of the best teams defensively, yet we still managed to create opportunities.”
