Southampton ‘one of the best teams in the Premier League’, says Pep Guardiola

After a difficult 1-0 victory for Manchester City, Pep Guardiola referred to Southampton, who were at the bottom of the table, as “one of the best teams in the Premier League.”

Erling Haaland’s tap-in in the fifth minute proved to be the difference at the Etihad, as the league leaders had 22 shots to their opponents’ five and 58% control.

Guardiola maintained that Southampton’s strategy of holding onto the ball to stave off advances was on par with the best in the league, despite the fact that Southampton hasn’t won a Premier League match since defeating Leicester City 1-0 in March 2023. That draw came against fellow recently promoted team Ipswich.
“They’re quite demanding in the manner they play. We often have the ball in three or four seconds in two out of three actions. They use the ball to defend.

“Defending is often thought of as having ten people behind the ball, but you can defend with the ball and they are quite skilled. They are among the Premier League’s top teams.We are aware that the second and third sections didn’t present many opportunities. They choose which transitions to use for shooting, but we produced a lot, so regrettably, “But big credit to them.” Therefore, it’s not because we were careless or unfocused. I don’t feel that way. We were there, I believe, and occasionally they are good. Therefore, we must accept that.
Bernardo Silva, an accomplished midfielder for City, concurred with his manager’s evaluation, saying Southampton’s prior performances were worth more than the one point they had earned thus far.
“We hold every Premier League team in high regard,” Silva remarked. “After watching their games throughout the season, I believe these guys should have a lot more points than they currently have.”They attempt to build up with the ball while applying tremendous pressure. “A tough game for us, but [we’re] very happy with the three points.” Pressing them is extremely challenging because it is impossible for our defenders to go man-to-man in the midfield.
Bernardo Silva, an accomplished midfielder for City, concurred with his manager’s evaluation, saying Southampton’s prior performances were worth more than the one point they had earned thus far.
“We hold every Premier League team in high regard,” Silva remarked. “After watching their games throughout the season, I believe these guys should have a lot more points than they currently have. “They attempt to build up with the ball while applying tremendous pressure. “A tough game for us, but [we’re] very happy with the three points.” Pressing them is extremely challenging because it is impossible for our defenders to go man-to-man in the midfield.

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