Relieved Pep hails ‘special talent’ Foden | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola admitted he was relieved when Phil Foden scored City’s added time winner.

Match Report

Foden double sees off stubborn Leeds

Foden scored in the first minute of the contest and then bagged the winner on 90+2 minutes after Leeds fought back from 2-0 down.

The boss conceded his team were not at their best but is happy to bank another three points that elevated the Blues back to second spot in the Premier League.

“I was relieved when he scored in the last minute and the other [thought is] that he is a big character. I was relieved, yes,” said Pep.

“The game was not in the perfect place in the first half, but it should be over for the chances we have and we didn’t concede.

“And after that brilliantly, Daniel changed the system like Leverkusen did, the 5-3-2 and we conceded a goal we gave away in the first minutes [of the second half].

“The build-up was completely different, and the shape takes influence in the way you play.

“Football is emotions and in that moment we concede the second.

“We made a step up and we reacted really well. Omar and Cherki came on, and we got more players in the box.

“In the last minute we had to put the ball quick to the box because in that moment the process doesn’t exist.

“Being with fullbacks or wingers it doesn’t matter. At the end it was the quality of Phil again, a player with special [talent].

“Out of the box he can pass the ball outside, make a run to the penalty spot and when he arrived sometimes he shoots strong, and sometimes just passes into the net and he helped us win the game.”

Guardiola said Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s early strike after the restart caught his players cold, somewhat.

Leeds had been outplayed up to that point, without troubling Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Pep added: “Because we conceded a goal in the first minutes, you are like ‘uh’. We talk about we need a third goal, and the game should be over, but football is emotions.

“When you have one striker against Ruben and Josko and then Nmecha is with Calvert-Lewin and then it’s 2 on 2 and the space to build-up is completely different.

“They pushed and we conceded a goal and you have to do what you have to do.

“It happened. We don’t have basketball time out where you can adjust a little bit.

“We have to learn in different ways in the Premier League. Always the gameplan from Daniel for me is exceptional.

“The gameplan is always 10 out of 10. And after, there are many things that you cannot control.

“I would say [we are] not a team to win these type of games a lot. But you need it.

“When you have 89 minutes and we know it’s 10 minutes of extra time, I said in that moment ‘let’s go!’

“Still we have a chance and before the goal we had two or three chances and good saves from their goalkeeper.

“In the end we were able to close it and get the three points and after two defeats its massively important for our mood.

“Next is Fulham one of the toughest away games in our experiences. But it’s important to go second and we’ll see tomorrow what happens at Arsenal and Chelsea.

“But it’s important to be as close to the top as possible and to try to the end.”