Phil Foden‘s sixteenth objective of the season earned Manchester Metropolis a 1-0 win at Bournemouth that trimmed the hole to Premier League leaders Liverpool to 1 level and prompted loads of reward by Pep Guardiola on Saturday.
Guardiola’s group needed to deal with a misfiring Erling Haaland and a second-half onslaught from Bournemouth earlier than leaving the south coast with a fifteenth victory from their final 17 matches in all competitions.
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“I like my gamers — they’re supermen,” Guardiola instructed Sky Sports activities. “They’re so good. The place we come from for a few years, enjoying each three days — [Bournemouth] had seven days to arrange for the sport and we all the time have much less.
“So when individuals say, you play in the identical circumstances within the Premier League, no, no — we do not have the identical equality, we now have far more video games than the remainder to play, and it is a robust place to come back, they’re a unbelievable group, they gained 3-0 at Outdated Trafford.
“We demand an excessive amount of of our gamers however they reply. I do know individuals say ‘they earn some huge cash’ however [the schedule] is an excessive amount of. Actually. However enterprise should go on and it surprises me each time how we’re nonetheless there, they’ve an unbelievable character and are so aggressive even when they’re drained, they offer further.
“Our followers need to be so pleased with these guys.”
The newest win was secured by Foden’s Twenty fourth-minute tap-in after Haaland’s shot was parried out by Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto.
The 23-year-old Foden has additionally contributed seven assists this season and has stepped as much as be one in all Metropolis’s leaders on the pitch.
“Overlook in regards to the targets — after all they’re necessary — however have you learnt how he performed?” Guardiola instructed reporters throughout his information convention.
“How he managed and accelerated. He has turn out to be already a top-class soccer participant. From slightly boy, now he has turn out to be already Phil, a world class, high participant.
“He is so good. He can play all over the place, particularly within the central place and play actually, actually good.”
It was Bournemouth who did a lot of the working after Foden’s objective and had been unfortunate to lose, with Marcus Tavernier squandering two fantastic probabilities.
Metropolis had been unconvincing however stayed firmly within the hunt for an additional title forward of an important March that accommodates league matches in opposition to Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.
It was Metropolis’s second 1-0 win in a row after edging previous Brentford by the identical rating on Tuesday.
“The final 10-Quarter-hour had been robust — we gained the treble and folks assume we now have to win each recreation 4-0, 5-0 however that isn’t the truth and hopefully quickly we will have every week off and refresh our minds and legs,” Guardiola added to Sky Sports activities.
Kevin De Bruyne got here off the bench for a late cameo for Metropolis after hamstring bother led to him lacking the Brentford recreation. The Belgian was booked and squandered an honest probability after being performed via by the wonderful Foden.
Metropolis shall be again in motion within the FA Cup fifth spherical in opposition to Luton City earlier than dealing with a Manchester derby in opposition to rivals United the next Sunday.
Data from The Related Press and Reuters contributed to this report.