Speaking to the media after his Manchester City side secured progression to the final of the Emirates FA Cup, Pep Guardiola suggested that the performance was ‘one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen from this group of players.’
The Cityzens left it late, with the only goal of the came coming in the 84th minute. Bernardo Silva took advantage, burying his strike in the back of the net via a deflection off Marc Cucurella.
Guardiola explained that after their midweek exit from the UEFA Champions League, he told his players ‘don’t fight against your feelings. You are sad? It’s fine. You are disappointed? It’s fine.’
It’s an approach that seems to have paid off, but the Spaniard berated the scheduling decisions that forced his side to play just days after the Real Madrid defeat. ‘Why not give us one more day?,’ he pondered.
‘It’s unacceptable to play today, we play in incredibly difficult conditions,’ he added, ‘it’s unsustainable.’
‘It’s common sense. I’m not asking for something special or privileged. Tell me you guys don’t agree with me!’
Manchester City will face either Coventry City or Manchester United in the final of the 2023/24 Emirates FA Cup on May 25. The Sky Blues will face the Red Devils at 15:30 BST on Sunday.
