Pep Guardiola Hails Erling Haaland and Gianluigi Donnarumma as Outstanding After Victory Over Brentford
The City boss was thankful that his team has the Norwegian striker netting goals and Gianluigi Donnarumma preventing them, after a victory at Brentford that came with another fitness issue for Rodri.
Haaland's Remarkable Form
"I have an amazing forward and goalkeeper," stated the coach, with Haaland's ninth-minute strike proving the decisive one. His current form are reaching the standards of City's treble-winning campaign, as the No 9 has scored in 9 straight matches. "He's the top," commented his boss. "In the year of the treble, he notched – how many? – countless goals In my view he's integrated now, he's comfortable. He feels now that this is mine."
Donnarumma's Crucial Intervention
On Donnarumma's decisive save from Igor Thiago, he said: "This guy starts to play at the highest level at 17. After they told me he's twenty-six it's like he's had decades of football. His calmness, his aura. Against teams who play good you face a single chance and he did it today. A one-on-one situation."
The Manager's Landmark Achievement
Pep achieved the personal milestone of 250 English top-flight victories, overtaking Ferguson and Wenger in attaining that number in a record 349 games. "I will treat them to a good dinner, maybe not in Manchester, in a warmer place," he remarked of those iconic coaches. "Or in the city. It's an honour and a pleasure to be part of Premier League history. I offer thanks to the club and the squad and the backroom team I had. We did it faster and sooner. Now let's go for 250 games more."
The Midfielder's Fitness Setback
Regarding the player's muscle problem, the most recent setback after a cruciate knee injury previously, Guardiola said: "I'd prefer to have him every three days but following a year it occurs constantly, it is so demanding. That is why we attempted to be cautious, play for 60-65 minutes but it cannot happen more."
The Opponent's Response
Keith Andrews, was pleased that his team got better after the visitors' first-half control to pose a danger until the full-time signal. "What we're trying to do is bring a team as one, a organization together, after so many changes," he said. "In my opinion it's developing. I believe you could observe that in the second half showing today against elite rivals."
