In the 10th round of the English Premier League (EPL), Manchester City challenged Bournemouth away from home and finally returned home with a 1-2 defeat. After the match, Pep Guardiola gave an in-depth analysis of the team's overall performance and the recovery of injured players at the press conference.
Speaking about the condition of core player De Bruyne, Guardiola revealed: "De Bruyne has only gradually regained his senses since Friday, but his injury has kept him out for more than a month and a half. It's a tough game against Bournemouth and I was going to play him in the last 10-15 minutes of the game but I'll make sure his health is not compromised. We relied heavily on him after his impressive return from injury last year and will be looking to help him gradually get back to his best at the right time."
For the return of captain Walker, Guardiola is both surprised and full of joy: "Walker was only involved in four or five training sessions during his recovery period after the Europa League, but his fitness and form exceeded my expectations, and he practiced shooting in the penalty area for only six minutes yesterday, and today he's all over the field. As captain, his return is vital for us and I'm confident that he will be able to gradually reach his best form."
Facing the shattering of his team's 32-game unbeaten run, Guardiola, however, showed a rare sense of equanimity: "Even though we have won many games before, the expectations were extremely high. This is the first defeat we have suffered in the Premier League in 2024, and it's November now and we have improved enough. We have to accept this result, learn from it and believe we will move on. I'm feeling good and energized at the moment and congratulations to Bournemouth on this win."
