Pep Guardiola expressed his delight after Manchester City’s 2-0 victory at Goodison Park, highlighting the significance of the result given Arsenal and Liverpool had both failed to win there this season.
City were on course for a goalless draw until Nico O’Reilly’s 84th-minute strike broke the deadlock, followed by Mateo Kovacic’s goal in added time. Guardiola described the win as a crucial boost to City’s Champions League hopes, though they remain behind both Arsenal and Liverpool, their long-standing title rivals in recent years.
In his post-match comments, Guardiola referenced Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Everton earlier this month, underscoring how difficult it had been for other top teams to win at the venue. He said: “I would say big. We needed to be so smart. Liverpool couldn’t win, Arsenal neither. It’s a massively important win.”
Guardiola also took a moment to acknowledge the historical significance of Goodison Park, with Everton set to move to a new stadium in the summer. Reflecting on his visits to the iconic ground, Guardiola reminisced: “It has been truly, truly an honour. Watching all the goals at Goodison Park over the years, I said, ‘Wow! This is English football!'”
The City boss also recalled his first experience at Goodison, where Ronald Koeman’s Everton side thrashed his team 4-0, with Romelu Lukaku causing problems. “The beginning of an incredible adventure,” he noted.
City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan also spoke about the challenging nature of the match, saying, “This ground is always tough to come and play at with the way they approach the game. We had to be careful at the beginning but performed brilliantly in the second half. We definitely deserved the three points.”
Looking ahead, City will return to Premier League action on Tuesday, hosting Aston Villa at the Etihad.