"I don't Agree with Ikay": Guardiola Dismisses Gundogan's Claims of Mental Struggles After Juventus Loss
Pep Guardiola defends Manchester City's performance against Juventus, rejecting claims of confidence issues despite another defeat.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has denied claims from midfielder Ilkay Gundogan that the team is struggling with confidence issues after their disappointing run of form continued with a 2-0 loss to Juventus in the Champions League. While Gundogan expressed concerns over the team’s mentality, Guardiola insisted that the problems lie elsewhere and praised his team’s overall performance despite the defeat.
After the match, Ilkay Gundogan openly admitted on national television that the team’s confidence is shaky and that this mental fragility is affecting their performances. Speaking to reporters, Gundogan said:
“Confidence is a big part of it. That’s a mental issue as well. You can see that sometimes one mistake or losing a duel makes us drop immediately and lose the rhythm. The opponents don’t even have to do much, but it has a big effect on us right now.”
His comments reflected the frustration of a team that has now lost seven of their last ten matches, a far cry from the dominant force that lifted the Champions League trophy just 18 months ago.
However, Guardiola was quick to dismiss Gundogan’s concerns, stating he does not believe the squad is suffering from any confidence or mental issues. Speaking to the media, Guardiola said:
“I am not agreeing with Ilkay. Of course, it is tough, but except for one or two games, we have played good football. Juventus deserves credit for the way they defended and attacked on transitions, but we were incredibly aggressive in our high pressing and overall play. I’m really pleased with how we performed.”
He further highlighted the team’s preparation and execution, emphasizing that mistakes, like Ederson’s costly error, were isolated incidents rather than signs of a larger problem.
Guardiola doubled down on his belief that the team’s performance should not be overshadowed by the result. He pointed out that Italian teams like Juventus are known for their defensive solidity and praised his players for sticking to their style of play.
“We didn’t lose many balls today. We played the way we are supposed to. The result didn’t go our way, but the performance was there. The dressing room is stable. When we win, we are happy; when we lose, we are not. That’s football.”
While Guardiola maintained that the mood within the squad remains steady, the lack of interaction among players after the final whistle told a different story. The team quietly acknowledged the travelling fans before heading back to the tunnel, leaving some supporters wondering about the squad’s unity during this challenging period.
