Pep Guardiola praised his Manchester City side despite being held to a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at St. James' Park on Saturday.
City took the lead through Josko Gvardiol after 35 minutes, but Newcastle levelled when Anthony Gordon scored from the spot following a foul by Ederson. Despite controlling parts of the game, City couldn't capitalise on chances, including a missed opportunity by Ilkay Gundogan.
Both sides pushed for a winner, but the game ended in a draw. City, now without key player Rodri due to injury, have dropped four points in the past week after their strong start to the season.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Guardiola acknowledged the challenges posed by Newcastle’s physicality and defence but remained optimistic about his team's overall performance.
"They had moments in the first ten minutes and after their goal, but in general we played really good," Guardiola said. "We made bad decisions at the last minute to make it 2-0. It is always difficult here with their physicality, and they defend so deep. We had chances but [Nick] Pope was brilliant, so we take the point."
City opened the scoring but were unable to capitalise on several opportunities to extend their lead. Newcastle responded with a goal of their own, shifting the momentum in their favour briefly. However, Guardiola was pleased with how his team bounced back.
"When we scored, we played better. We made a mistake, and after that, they played better. But then we took the game again and had chances to win it."
Despite the draw, Guardiola singled out the performances of midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Rico Lewis for praise. "Mateo was brilliant, Rico too. Bernardo [Silva] played there as well. Really good."
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