‘We could have scored MORE’: Pep Guardiola insists Man City could have been even better in front of goal despite scoring SIX against Manchester United at the Etihad… and says ‘some players weren’t good today and they have to improve”
- Manchester City defeated rivals Manchester United 6-3 at the Etihad on Sunday
- Erling Haaland and Phil Foden scored hat-tricks for the reigning champions
- But coach Pep Guardiola believes there is still room for improvement in front of goal
- After the win, he said: “Some players were not good today and they have to improve”
By Jack Gaughan for the Daily Mail
Published: 17:32, October 2, 2022 | Updated: 22:56, October 2, 2022
Typically, Pep Guardiola poked holes in Manchester City’s abuse of their bitter rivals.
The City manager was unimpressed with a bit of “desire” from his players, despite them scoring six goals at Manchester United with hat-tricks from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland.
United scored three goals in the second half to take some of the shine off City’s performance.
Pep Guardiola admitted there was still room for improvement after beating Man United 6-3
Phil Foden (left) scored a hat-trick as City dominated their local rivals at the Etihad Stadium.
The champions, the only team unbeaten so far this season, are one point behind league leaders Arsenal.
‘Perfection does not exist, it is impossible. But we have to try to look at it,” said Guardiola. “We did well, we can do better. Many, many players made careless passes. That’s not good. We have to be more consistent.
“In some areas we were still not good, the simple things we are still not good enough. We are losing easy balls. We still conceded some actions to the opponent with simple things that we were not doing well”.
Haaland’s phenomenal record in England continued after he scored a third consecutive hat-trick at home, the only player to achieve the feat. He also erased the record of the fastest player to score three hat-tricks in the top flight. Haaland, 22, now has 14 goals in eight league games.
Erling Haaland also scored his third Premier League hat-trick of the season on Sunday
“What I like about the last period of the game is that he is involved,” added Guardiola.
“He said (early in the season): ‘I’d rather touch the ball five times and score five goals.’ I don’t like that, I want him to touch the ball more and more.”
“I like that he is more involved, but don’t forget that his great talent is putting the ball in the net. He has incredible instincts that the ball will come and it comes from his mum and dad, he was born with that.”
Haaland’s father Alfie was spotted doing the ‘Poznan’ dance, where fans turn their backs to the game and bounce up and down, during the second half. Haaland and Foden took a different ball home with them.
Guardiola added: “We have this incredible feeling that Erling always looks starved and is so competitive. The numbers are scary, honestly. He came here and realized: ‘Oh, these guys, my teammates, they run like an animal and I have to do it too.” He will have a break. There will be games he does not play.
Manchester City manager said: “Some players were not good today and they need to improve”
Haaland believes a disappointing debut for City, in the Community Shield defeat to Liverpool, was a catalyst for his impressive start.
“My confidence is good, it’s always been good,” Haaland said. “After playing against Liverpool in the Community Shield, it was still good. It was good that the game happened, I thought: I have to be a bit more prepared.
“Before the (United) game I felt something special was going to happen and today we saw some special things happen.
‘It was fine. I felt it all over training camp on Friday. These are the games I want to play. These are the best games where there’s a little more to it.
“It could have been more and in the second half we should have been tighter, worked a little harder, because it was a bit sloppy at times. We lost the second half and that’s not good, so we still have to work.”