Pep Guardiola says he substituted Erling Haaland during Manchester City’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester United because he wanted his team to have ‘recent energy’.
United ran out deserved winners at Old Trafford in Michael Carrick’s first game in charge as second-half goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu sealed the victory.
Haaland, meanwhile, didn’t register a shot heading in the right direction before he was replaced by 18-year-old Divine Mukasa with 10 minutes of the sport remaining.
When asked if the choice to substitute Haaland was to ‘save his legs’, Guardiola replied: ‘A part of that yes.
‘We had recent energy. At the tip it’s a matter of what number of moments you may have.’
In a separate interview with Viaplay, Guardiola was also asked about Haaland’s subdued performance.
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‘It’s not about just Erling, the energy you pass to them, and them to you, it’s a matter of the group.
‘We’re here because Erling has done unbelievable. After all, he’s played a variety of games but imagine me, it’s not nearly him.’
Guardiola also conceded that City deserved to lose the sport.
‘The higher team won. They were higher,’ the City manager said.
‘When a team is best you may have to simply accept it. They’d the energy we didn’t have, so congratulations.
‘They’d the possibilities at the tip and naturally the goals we conceded were poor. We didn’t control, but typically we will’t speak about this motion or that motion. We now have the duty to analyse the sport typically they usually were higher.’
The defeat leaves City six points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, who play away to Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening.
‘It’s about how we grow up as a team,’ Guardiola said when asked in regards to the gap between his side and Arsenal.
‘I actually have the sensation we’ve done superb things to this point. To be higher you could have to take a step back. The season is a great distance and you may have to proceed to analyse.’
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