Pep Guardiola Reflects on Man City's FA Cup Final Loss to Manchester United
In his post-match comments, Guardiola stated, "This is the news, not that we lose, but how long it has been since we lose. Of course, with the FA Cup final we were a little bit hungover, but it is good news." He had previously attributed the loss to a flawed game plan, acknowledging that the tactics employed during the final did not work as intended.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has candidly admitted that his players were "hungover" during their FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United last season. City faced off against their city rivals at Wembley, where they were stunned by a 2-1 loss, with goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo putting United in control before City managed to pull one back late in the match.
The defeat came just five days after City clinched the Premier League title in a hard-fought battle against Arsenal, leading to speculation that the players may not have been fully focused on the cup final. Following City's recent 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup, Guardiola confirmed those suspicions, suggesting that the emotional and physical toll of their title celebrations impacted the team's performance at Wembley.
In his post-match comments, Guardiola stated, "This is the news, not that we lose, but how long it has been since we lose. Of course, with the FA Cup final we were a little bit hungover, but it is good news." He had previously attributed the loss to a flawed game plan, acknowledging that the tactics employed during the final did not work as intended.
As City prepares for their next fixture against Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium on Saturday, they will be looking to bounce back and maintain their position at the top of the Premier League, keeping pace with title challengers Liverpool and Arsenal. Guardiola's focus will be on ensuring his squad is mentally and physically ready to compete in what promises to be a busy period ahead.
