Pep Guardiola attributed Manchester City’s unexpected 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth partly to the limited recovery time his squad had before the match. Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson scored to secure a historic victory for Bournemouth, who had never before defeated City in the league.
“Pep Guardiola Blames Recovery Time for Man City’s Shock Defeat to Bournemouth”
City’s loss came just days after a 2-1 Carabao Cup exit against Tottenham, giving them only three days’ rest before heading to Bournemouth. In contrast, Bournemouth had a week-long break after their last game at Aston Villa, allowing them a distinct advantage. With this defeat, City slipped to second place, trailing Liverpool by two points after Liverpool’s comeback win over Brighton.
Reflecting on the match, Guardiola acknowledged the disparity in intensity. “We couldn’t match Bournemouth’s intensity, especially with just three days to recover,” he explained. He highlighted the challenge of defending against Bournemouth’s long balls and noted that while City created some chances, they struggled to defend deep against the sustained pressure.
Ahead of the game, Guardiola had raised concerns about injuries affecting his team. Key players, including Savinho and Kevin De Bruyne, remained on the bench, while defenders Ruben Dias and John Stones face extended injury absences. Guardiola also pointed out the strain on players like Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake, who returned to play despite limited training time.
Kyle Walker echoed his manager’s thoughts, emphasizing that Bournemouth’s preparation time gave them an edge. “Sometimes, in games like this, you have to play with heart,” Walker said. He noted City’s late push in the final minutes but acknowledged that coming back from 2-0 down was always going to be difficult.
Conclusion
Despite the loss, both Guardiola and Walker gave credit to Bournemouth’s well-organized team. City now faces the challenge of managing a thin squad as they move forward in the season.
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