Guardiola Hails Southampton’s Spirit Despite City’s Narrow Victory
Pep Guardiola had high praise for Southampton after Manchester City’s hard-fought 1-0 win over the Saints. City’s win, courtesy of Erling Haaland’s decisive first-half goal, took them to the top of the Premier League, knocking Liverpool from the summit. Meanwhile, Southampton remains winless, stuck at the bottom of the table under manager Russell Martin.
Despite the contrasting fortunes, Guardiola admired Southampton’s approach, saying they’re “[one of the best teams in the Premier League]” in one key area. Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, he noted, “The way they played, they are so demanding. They defend with the ball.”
Although Southampton created few chances, Guardiola insisted the close scoreline wasn’t due to City’s lack of effort. “They didn’t create many chances, but we created a lot,” he said. “Unfortunately, we could not score the second. Big credit to them—it wasn’t because we were sloppy or flat. Sometimes they were good. We have to accept that.”
Southampton, with just one point from nine matches, is still waiting for a breakthrough win in their return to the top flight. Yet, Russell Martin remains positive, expressing pride in his players’ resilience. “The courage they had and the build-up was incredible. We had some big moments,” he said, emphasizing the boldness Southampton showed against a challenging opponent.
Reflecting on the game, Martin added, “I think we had more [chances] than most coming here. The level of courage and intensity to run and play football in our way was incredible. We will take a lot of belief from today—not just the defending, but the character after going 1-0 down early.”
In Martin’s words, “[If we are going to lose, at least we will do it in a way that we can be proud of].”
Despite the loss, Southampton’s spirit and commitment to their style of play were undeniable, and Guardiola’s compliments may be a small boost as they look to climb up the table.
