Guardiola hits back at Rooney over ‘stupid’ comments after Man City beat Arsenal | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has hit back at Wayne Rooney for claiming Man City celebrated too much after their 2-1 win over Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Citizens secured an important victory over the Gunners to put themselves firmly back in the Premier League title race ahead of the final run-in.

Man City can go top of the Premier League if they beat Burnley on Wednesday night, in their game in hand on Arsenal, with Guardiola’s men just three points adrift of the league leaders.

Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland scored the crucial goals, either side of Kai Havertz’s equaliser for the Gunners, to put the title back in Man City’s control.

A feisty encounter saw Man City celebrate hard at the final whistle as a defeat would have probably put the Premier League title out of reach.

And Rooney insisted that he was “surprised” by the “heavy celebration” from Man City with Arsenal still top of the Premier League.

Speaking on Sunday’s Match of the Day, Rooney said: “If you are an Arsenal player, you are thinking: ‘Hold on, we’re still leading.’ It was a heavy celebration, I was surprised with that.”

Responding to Rooney’s remarks, Guardiola said ahead of the trip to Burnley on Wednesday: “People can say whatever stupid things they want to say. They celebrated because they know the value of the opponent.

“They knew if we didn’t win it would be ‘bye-bye [to the title race]’. They won and still we are there. How can they not celebrate it? As much as you respect the opponent and the fans of the opponent, celebrate however you want.

“Of course we are not going to celebrate in the middle of the week if we win 3-0 or 4-0 and the opponent is different. Everybody knew that game, it was a final. Especially for us. Maybe not for them but for us it was a final and of course you have to celebrate it.”

Man Utd legend Rooney also insisted that that title race has “more twists and turns to come” and is definitely “not over yet”.

Rooney said: “This title race is not over yet, I still feel like there are some more twists and turns to come.

“It is is obviously going to be tight but City have got one more game to try to win, so I still have Arsenal down as slight favourites.

“I’ve been in this situation myself, where you need to win all your games for the title. You look at your games and you think well we should win this one, or that one, but it never pans out that way.

“From now until the end of the season it is just going to be down to which team keeps their composure the best – that’s who will win it.”