Pep Guardiola: 'Man City wins after matches like this'

Pep Guardiola considers those tough winter wins, exemplified by the match against Nottingham Forest, as the type of games that have occurred in Man City's title-winning Premier League campaigns.

The 2-1 victory at City Ground against Nottingham Forest not only allowed Manchester City to temporarily take the top spot in the Premier League but also held great emotional significance for Pep Guardiola. After the match, the Spanish coach repeatedly emphasized the value of these three points, especially given Man City faced a highly difficult and physically strong opponent.

Pep began the interview with a half-joking, half-serious yet heartfelt tone: “All the weight I gained over Christmas has already gone. These three points are truly, truly, truly very important”. He could not hide the tension Man City endured against a well-organized Nottingham Forest playing at high intensity for the full 90 minutes.

According to Pep, Forest under Sean Dyche is a very tough team, particularly during the winter period: “They are an incredible team; their defending and contesting are unbelievable. Winter in Nottingham means if you’re not prepared, you won’t win”. Pep said Man City had to mentally prepare days in advance because he knew such matches had cost his team in the past.

“Winter, away matches at Nottingham Forest… I know memory might not be perfect, but when we won one of the six Premier League titles, games like this happened regularly,” Pep explained.

Man City took the lead through Tijjani Reijnders’ goal but was quickly equalized, forcing Pep to adjust his approach in the second half. He admitted the team struggled when Forest dropped deep and closed down spaces:

“There were too many players behind the ball. We had to move inside then outside, be more patient, and only then did chances appear”, Pep analyzed the tactical changes that led to Rayan Cherki’s decisive goal in the 83rd minute.

One notable moment was the excited celebration between Pep and Pep Lijnders on the bench. Guardiola did not hesitate to praise his colleague:

“He is a top-class coach. Sometimes people think I’m the head coach, but maybe today I was his assistant”. Pep revealed that the two had an extensive discussion during halftime to adjust the lineup and tempo.

Speaking about temporarily leading the league, Pep maintained his usual cautious attitude: “We have only finished the first half of the season. The Premier League is getting tougher. Winning today doesn’t mean everything is done”. He emphasized that the most important thing was Man City overcoming a “winter-type” match, where endurance and spirit matter more than beautiful play.

The victory over Nottingham Forest is not just three points on the Premier League table but also a statement of Man City’s resilience.For Pep Guardiola, this is the kind of match a champion team must win, by any means necessary.