Pep Guardiola defends Manchester City performance in Aston Villa defeat despite glaring issues | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola was pleased with many aspects of Manchester City’s display in their 1-0 loss to Aston Villa on Sunday despite the Blues’ nine-game unbeaten streak coming to an end.

Matty Cash’s 19th minute strike was enough to inflict the first defeat Manchester City have suffered in two months as the visitors failed to put the ball in the back of the net for the first time in 11 games.

City started the game on the front foot but were second best for much of the loss as they failed to showcase any genuine goal threat bar a very presentable Erling Haaland chance in the first-half – further underpinning how well Aston Villa kept the Blues at bay.

However, Guardiola was pleased with much of what he saw from his side and admitted after the game that it was only the final finishing touch that Manchester City lacked at Villa Park on Sunday.

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the game, Guardiola said: “We created, made a more than good game, started impressive, and after we lost when they contact with people in the middle.

“Up front we lost situations, to regain or not regain that ball made a little difference against a really good team.

“(In the) second-half, we adjusted a little, we could control more in the middle, they blocked crosses, we made a lot of chances, being there and unfortunately, we could not score.”

On what he learnt about his side from their defeat in the east Midlands, Guardiola added: “That we are a really good team, we played a really good game. We missed at the end actions when we attacked the by-line, the last pass, last shot, last cross to be more present,” in conversation with Sky.

“But we started really good in the first 15, 20 minutes and after we were not able when they contact in the last line, to win duels, win the three-against-ones, four-against-two they were better in that position, we should be more better in attacking the ball.

“And after on set-pieces, they created dangerous because they are so good. But in general, we behaved really well; second-half much better, but at the end we could not score.”

Guardiola has previously stressed on Manchester City finding alternative routes to goal to Erling Haaland, who has single-handedly carried the club’s goalscoring expectations since Julian Alvarez’s £82 million move to Atletico Madrid last summer.

Manchester City next face Swansea City in the Carabao Cup fourth-round as they look to return to winning ways ahead of crucial Premier League fixtures against Bournemouth and Liverpool, with little room for error for the Blues in the title race after falling six points behind league leaders Arsenal at the weekend.