- Guardiola reacts as Manchester City defeated West Ham 4-1, securing consecutive Premier League wins for the first time since October
- Erling Haaland’s brace and Savinho’s standout performance sealed the win, but Guardiola stressed improvements are still needed
- Savinho shined with two assists and forced an own goal, but Guardiola demanded more aggression from the Brazilian winger
Spanish coach Pep Guardiola admitted Manchester City were still far from their best despite securing a dominant 4-1 victory over West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, January 4.
Erling Haaland stole the show with a clinical brace as the reigning champions claimed back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since October 2024, yet Guardiola remained unconvinced that his side had rediscovered the form that has made them dominant in recent years.
The City boss acknowledged the result was vital for building momentum but stressed there was still plenty of work to be done.
Speaking after the game, he said,
“We saw in many years our level and we are not at our level. We won, I am so happy and it helps us, but our performance was not good.”
Guardiola was quick to praise his players’ work ethic but admitted City were fortunate early on as West Ham squandered two golden opportunities to take the lead.
Mohammed Kudus and Tomas Soucek both missed clear-cut chances, which could have changed the game from the beginning.
The breakthrough for City came via an own goal from Vladimir Coufal, who deflected Savinho’s cross into his own net.
From there, City gained control, with Phil Foden adding a second and Haaland netting twice to seal the win.
Guardiola, however, refused to get carried away, stating,
“I’m very pleased for the result, but you cannot ask me if the old City is back. If you saw the game, we are not.”
The standout performer for Manchester City was Brazilian winger Savinho, who delivered two assists for Haaland and forced Coufal’s own goal.
Despite his influence, Guardiola suggested there was still room for improvement in the young winger’s game.
“He has a lot to improve, he’s not aggressive enough without the ball, he’s a little bit soft in many departments, but right now, he has something special and brilliant that helps the team a lot. I’m so happy for him,” Guardiola said.
Niclas Fullkrug grabbed a late consolation for the visitors, but it was too little, too late as City cruised to victory.
“We had good moments, but...,” Guardiola laments Man City’s chances against Aston Villa
Previously, TheRadar reported that Premier League champions Manchester City’s alarming dip in form continued as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa at Villa Park, leaving Pep Guardiola searching for answers.
Despite another disappointing result, Guardiola defended his team’s performance, emphasising glimpses of quality but admitting their struggles to convert opportunities proved costly.
