Pep Guardiola Insists Manchester City 'Will Be Back' After Narrow Win at Tottenham

Pep Guardiola expressed confidence in Manchester City's future prospects after their 1-0 win at Tottenham, insisting the team 'will be back' to their dominant best.

Pep Guardiola expressed confidence in Manchester City's future prospects after Erling Haaland's decisive goal secured a 1-0 victory at Tottenham on Wednesday. The win propelled City into fourth place, bolstering their bid to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Haaland's clinical finish in the 12th minute marked a crucial moment in City's campaign, as they strive to finish in the top four. However, this objective represents a significant departure from City's recent dominance, having won four consecutive Premier League titles and six in seven seasons under Guardiola.

PEP 💬 (On Khusanov) What I like is that he is already incredible for the dressing room. Today he travelled without his washbag. Nothing. Arrived here to play football. When you talk to him he just laughs, laughs, laughs all the time but he is a reliable player. So fast, so… pic.twitter.com/hB6twCvse0

— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 26, 2025

Manchester City's title aspirations have long been extinguished, with Liverpool appearing almost certain to claim the championship. City's 2-0 defeat to the Reds on Sunday only served to underscore their 20-point deficit to the leaders. With their Champions League campaign also cut short following a play-off loss to Real Madrid, Guardiola's focus has shifted to the FA Cup as the team's sole remaining path to silverware this season.

PEP 💬 He has to improve but he's 20. I’ve seen players with a lot of pace but he is one of them. People adore him. He is silent, no complaints and so humble. And I'm sure our fans will love him. It’s not easy to overcome after what happened after five minutes against Chelsea.…

— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 26, 2025

Despite the challenges posed by an ageing squad in certain positions and a lack of Premier League experience in others, Guardiola remains steadfast in his conviction that Manchester City can reclaim their former glory. The Spaniard is confident that the team will bounce back and reassert their dominance in the Premier League.

Manchester City's inconsistent form was on full display in their 1-0 win over Tottenham in north London. The team started brightly, but squandered several opportunities to extend their lead, before clinging on under intense pressure in the second half.

Pep Guardiola acknowledged that his team's performance was a microcosm of their season, stating, “Never will be this season the old City. Old City were too good, but we will be back.” He attributed the team's struggles to their inability to capitalize on their chances, particularly in the first half, which left them vulnerable to Tottenham's second-half onslaught.

Guardiola elaborated on his team's performance, saying, “The game, it was open second half because we didn't close the first. In this stadium always they have 20 to 25 minutes and second half we suffered.” He also highlighted the team's recurring issue of conceding goals, noting, “It's happened many times this season that we give away an unbelievable amount of goals and up front there are many games, like Champions League at Sporting we should be 1-3 or 1-4 in the first half and we lost 4-1. Many times it happens and today fortunately it finished good.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou attributed his team's struggles in the first half to overeagerness, which ultimately hindered their performance. Postecoglou's side has faced a tumultuous season, similar to Manchester City's, leaving them in 13th place and pinning their hopes on Europa League success to end a 17-year trophy drought.

Postecoglou reflected on the first half, saying, “First half we were just a little bit too eager to get forward with the ball. I thought we were really wasteful and when you are against City, it allows them to get into a rhythm.” He acknowledged that this approach played into Manchester City's hands, allowing them to dictate the pace of the game and create scoring opportunities. “They can pick you off at different times and we just didn't handle that part of the game well. They scored and had a couple of good chances to get further ahead.”

Despite the disappointing first half, Postecoglou was heartened by his team's improved performance in the second half. “I certainly felt second half we dominated the game and territory. We were pretty relentless. Much better with the ball and a lot calmer but just missing a goal and ultimately fell short.” Although the defeat was disappointing, Postecoglou took solace in the fact that his team's second-half display was more reminiscent of their true capabilities. “It's disappointing to lose again and that's the main feeling, but it did look more like us today.”