Pep Guardiola defends team selection for FA Cup semi-final after 1-0 defeat against Chelsea

Pep Guardiola defends team selection for FA Cup semi-final after 1-0 defeat against Chelsea

Pep Guardiola

Manchester City’s dreams of becoming the first team to win the ‘Quadruple’ were crushed as they suffered a 1-0 loss against Chelsea in the semi-final of the FA Cup. City kept their hopes alive in the Champions league after eliminating Borussia Dortmund and Guardiola made 8 changes to the starting lineup from the mid-week fixture.

In the first half it was evident that these players have not played together for a while as they failed to display Guardiola’s style of play on the pitch. Although they kept Chelsea at bay, yet they did not look convincing enough to win the match.

Guardiola made 8 changes from the match against Dortmund in the Champions league

However, Pep Guardiola dismissed suggestions that he did not pay enough attention to the FA Cup. He hit back at reporters in the post-match press conference and thoroughly defended his players. He justified his changes by saying that they were enforced and he did not want to risk his players’ fitness for the final stretch of the season.

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“Do you think we don’t pay attention to the game?” said the Spaniard, in a passionate defence of his team and their efforts this season. 

“Do you think Sterling or Ferran Torres or Gabriel Jesus don’t deserve to play the game? I don’t think that we didn’t pay attention. A team that arrives in the final stages of all competitions, you couldn’t say that. Just say we lost the game.“

Manchester Citu suffered a 1-0 defeat against Chelsea

“And when you lost the game, the decisions are bad. But it is a poor argument, my friends, it is so poor an argument. We wouldn’t get to the semi-final of the FA Cup or the final of the Carabao Cup four times in a row and semi-final of the Champions League if we don’t pay attention.”

“We had many, many games with this team in the FA Cup over four or five years and we always play to try to win.”

City still have a lot to play for as they are only 10 points away from winning the premier league. They are also in action in the Carabao Cup final against Tottenham on 25th April and have the semi-finals of the Champions league against Paris-Saint Germain.

Also Read : Thomas Tuchel raves over Hakim Ziyech’s performance in FA Cup semi-final victory