Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has locked his players in the dressing room following a dismal defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday evening
City suffered a 2-0 loss in London, with Steven Bergwijn and Heung-Min Son helping Jose Mourinho’s side cut down the gap on fourth-placed Chelsea to four points.
However, City’s defeat was their fault and only their, as they failed to convert a few clear-cut opportunities in the first half, including a spot-kick, wasted by Ilkay Gundogan.
Sergio Aguero also squandered two golden chances before halftime, heating the post before missing the target from close range.
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s expulsion in the 60th minute turned the fortunes around, with the reigning Premier League holders struggling to cope with Spurs in terms of running and pace during the final 30 minutes.
180 minutes | 31 shots | 0 goals
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 2, 2020
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Man City have failed to score in back-to-back games for the first time under Pep Guardiola. pic.twitter.com/QY2EPOMtt1
As reported by the Daily Express, Guardiola has kept his players in the dressing room for around 45 minutes after the final whistle, trying to understand where things went south.
Even though his team ended up losing the game, the Spaniard has refused to put any blame on his men, insisting he is satisfied with the way they performed.
“I was talking with my staff, my wife, and some players,” the former Bayern Munich manager said.
Guardiola kept his players locked in the dressing room for over 40 minuteshttps://t.co/DDRYXaweZO
— Liverpool FC News (@LivEchoLFC) February 2, 2020
“I don’t have too many things to say about the performance.
“How should I be critical of my players with this performance?
“With this performance, it would be an incredible mistake to point to them and say how bad they are – it is not true.
“It’s not football – football is to create chances and concede few.
“To believe in this concept, you are closer to winning the game. A few times this season, it did happen, and it happened.”
A defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium now means Liverpool need only six more wins to secure the title as they sit 22 points clear at the summit.