Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was pleased with how his side combated Everton’s threats in their 3-0 win at Goodison Park as he hailed Sean Dyche’s side as being the most-dangerous in the Premier League for set-pieces.
The Spaniard said: “It’s tricky playing away at Everton in between Champions League games. I was particularly impressed with how they handled the game against Brighton but from the first minute we controlled the game except in transitions.
“If you let them run with Iwobi, Calvert-Lewin, it’s so difficult and every corner and free-kick, they are the best team in the Premier League since Sean Dyche’s appointment. There’s always the chance of a goal and you can suffer, like when Arsenal lost here from one corner.
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“We had the patience and the momentum with the movement from Riyad and Phil that was really good, especially on our left side where we had more chance to attack as they closed down our right. We scored the goals at the right moment and it’s nice to celebrate with our fans away and we need two more victories to be champions.”
The Manchester City manager also spoke of his admiration for his captain Ilkay Gundogan who netted two spectacular goals. The 32-year-old’s current contract expires this summer and having been at the Etihad since 2016, it was put to his manager that he’d represent a big hole to fill.
Guardiola said: “Nobody knows what’s going to happen, maybe he well stay? Hopefully.
“He shows again, again and again that his quality is important and his commitment to the club. Not just scoring goals, I know he has his momentum, against Leeds he was ‘the’ player and today again, he can do everything and he does it well.
“He doesn’t talk much but when he talks, everybody listens. This is the power of the leader.
“He shows his leadership in every training session, arriving on time, living the job 24 hours a day and playing like he’s playing. He can play close to the box with his incredible sense of scoring goals or as a holding midfielder defensively without a problem which he proved a long time ago when Fernandinho was injured and he played a lot of games in that role.
“He’s so intelligent, so clever, and he handles the pressure really well.”
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