adminPep Guardiola delivers blunt verdict following 3–2 Leeds triumph after a week of setbacks against Newcastle and Leverkusen.
Manchester City fell 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday, a defeat Pep Guardiola described as the result of his players “not trying.”
Guardiola rotated heavily, making 10 changes, but was left disappointed by those given an opportunity at the Etihad, accusing them of playing to avoid mistakes rather than taking responsibility.
Speaking after the loss, Guardiola said his frustration was tied more to the team’s attitude than the result itself.
“We know the competition is tough.
It’s not just about disappointing results,” he explained. “I always talk about the performance, and the results help you perform better. I wasn’t that disappointed about the Newcastle game, but the last one — because of my decisions — we didn’t try. Simple as that.”
The City boss insisted he still believes in the quality of his squad players, but said they were far too risk-averse on the ball.
“They played to not make mistakes,” Guardiola said. “Not to say, ‘I’m going to do something.’
And that is so difficult. In football you have to play. In defence, you have to try. If you lose actions, at least you tried. They played safe, trying not to be noticed for errors — and that makes everything harder.”
Addressing his rotation strategy, Guardiola admitted the defeat was a lesson.
“Maybe I’ve been too nice. You have to rotate because you can’t sustain the schedule.
I had a lot of confidence in them, and still do. I value them highly — maybe even more than they value themselves. It was a good lesson for me, even with my experience.”
Pep focused on Leeds after disappointing midweek result
Sky Sports News reporter Ben Ransom noted that despite Guardiola’s frustration, the manager still defended the squad players who struggled.
After joking about being “too nice” in giving them minutes, Guardiola hinted that the established stars will return to the starting lineup against Leeds.
With the title race tightening, Ransom suggested Guardiola will be “laser-focused” on restoring momentum and avoiding further setbacks.
Rodri sidelined again as City seek a response
Guardiola confirmed that Rodri will miss Saturday’s 3pm clash with Leeds as he continues to recover from the hamstring injury sustained at Brentford in October.
He offered short answers when asked about the Premier League title picture, refusing to look beyond the immediate fixture.
With Arsenal visiting second-placed Chelsea on Sunday, the Gunners currently hold a seven-point lead over City after 12 league games. Guardiola acknowledged the gap but reiterated that his attention remains on the next opponent.
“About next week and the next game, I always talk about what is in front of us,” he said. “After that, we’ll see. I know the distance is already there. Arsenal are very strong. We can see they’re getting better and better as a team. We’ll see.”
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