Manchester City swept aside Salford City by a massive 8-0 margin in the FA Cup clash on January 12, a scoreline that made the victory stand out. After the match, the Matchday Show had the pleasure of speaking to Pep Guardiola, City's manager, who gave an insight into the win and his team's performance.
Pep Guardiola said that it was not easy for City to win the game despite the big difference in the scoreline, especially in the confrontation with Salford City, where the opponent's man-marking tactics posed a big challenge to City. In particular, he pointed out that City showed breathtaking firepower in the attacking end, for which Guardiola was very satisfied with the team's overall performance.
Speaking about standout youngster James McCarty, Guardiola was full of praise for McCarty's hat-trick. He praised McCarty's pace of play and nose for goal, and expressed his belief that the youngster has a bright future ahead of him. In addition, Guardiola also praised Nico O'Reilly, who has made a name for himself at left-back, for his impressive performances in his new position.
Talking about Gralish, who just ended his goal drought, Guardiola said that Gralish not only scored, but also contributed an assist, showing his all-round strength. Guardiola emphasized that Gralish is a very talented player, and his performance is closely related to his own form. As long as he can maintain his best form, he can seize the opportunity to keep moving forward.
Reflecting on the team's overall performance, Guardiola revealed that since taking charge of Manchester City, he has led the team in over 500 matches, many of which have left a lasting impression. However, the team has recently suffered from injury problems that have affected training and matches. Guardiola believes that this is the main reason for the team's recent poor performances. However, he also sees hope that with the gradual recovery of the players and the addition of new recruits, the team is gradually getting back to form. Guardiola emphasized that the players fight for their positions, as competition is the soul of soccer and the driving force that pushes the team to keep moving forward.
