‘It’s the Premier League’ – Guardiola cannot explain City’s nine-goal thriller against Fulham | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola insists that he cannot control matches like that in the Premier League after Manchester City edged a 5-4 win over Fulham after being 5-1 ahead earlier in the match.

Goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Tijani Reijnders and two from Phil Foden made it look like City had run away with the match, but a brace from Samuel Chukwueze and one from Alexander Iwobi after Emile Smith Rowe had scored their first almost had Fulham level.

The City boss tried to explain why City almost conceded their lead after the match: “In other leagues you can’t control it, it’s the Premier League. I know you’re going to ask what happened, and I don’t have an answer. It’s the emotion, it’s the football.

“In other leagues you can’t control it, it’s the Premier League.””Why you do this, why you do that? So all the goals was about defending the edge. We go so deep to defend these kind of crosses, you have to occupy the spaces a bit better. But I’m sorry to tell you, we made incredible things today.

“Incredible, because I know how difficult it is against this team. We proved it and score the goals that we score and the quality we have, and the way we defend.”

Despite saying that they could not control a match like that he did admit that Haaland should have put City further ahead when he hit the post with a header when they were 5-3 up.

“But, after that [at 5-3], we have to make the 6-3,” he said “We hit two posts and could have a 6-3, but immediately later it’s 5-4. 

“And when that happens, it’s just a question of survival.  Don’t tell me how. The players don’t know either. And a little bit of luck. And yeah, at the end we take it.”

Although the match was a tough watch for the Spaniard he still was able to make a joke afterwards.

“Did you enjoy, guys?” he asked. “Yeah? Nice, me? I lost my hair. I thought the players were happy to work with me, but today I proved they’re not.”