Manchester City crashed out of the Carabao Cup last night after a 1-0 loss against Newcastle United. But despite it being an early exit for the Citizens, manager Pep Guardiola has shown a positive attitude regarding the elimination.
This week has seen teams take part in the EFL Cup third-round set of games, and now with that round over with, Man City’s journey also comes to an end.
Prior to the game, Pep had made very clear his intentions to keep certain regular players on the bench due to the number of minutes being played by them and said that how rest is important, especially with the ongoing list of injuries.
After the defeat, Pep expressed his opinions on his team’s performance, ” A big compliment to the players for the way we played, compared to last season against Southampton. We were brilliant in the first half. We struggled a bit more, but that’s normal. I said at half-time that the second half won’t be the same. In the end, we couldn’t win. Congratulations to Newcastle.”
And while many start to discuss the elimination, Pep certainly won’t let it shake his focus, as he reminds everyone what is still in store for the club, ” We have three more competitions to play in.”
Overall, while it is a loss of a potential trophy, there are still other, and many would agree more important, titles that City have a high probability of attaining.
Another plus to be noted is the hectic schedule clubs face, and with Pep’s focus being more drawn to the other tournaments, the exit from the EFL might just work in his favour in preparing for the bigger fixtures.
Manchester City have already won the UEFA Super Cup, which was decided on penalties against Sevilla. The Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup are the three that remain the goal for City, just like last season, where they were successful in all three.
City will also take part in the FIFA Club World Cup, where they will either take on Urawa Red Diamonds or Club Leon.
But next up, is Wolves, on the 30th, September at 15:00 (UK).