Pep Guardiola sported a noticeable cut on his nose during Manchester City’s dramatic 3-3 draw with Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
City seemed poised for a comfortable win at the Etihad Stadium, thanks to a brace from Erling Haaland and a goal by Ilkay Gundogan, which put the Premier League champions 3-0 up by the 53rd minute.
However, a stunning turn of events in the final 15 minutes saw Feyenoord rally back with goals from Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Giménez, and David Hancko to snatch a draw.
The cut on Guardiola’s nose didn’t escape fans’ attention, as the animated City boss patrolled the sidelines. Addressing the injury in his post-match press conference, Guardiola revealed the wound was self-inflicted.
“With my finger, yeah, with my nail,” Guardiola said, gesturing to mimic how he scratched his nose. He then joked, “I want to harm myself, yeah.”
The 53-year-old was also seen with smaller cuts on his head, seemingly caused by the same overzealous scratching.
The draw extends Manchester City’s winless streak to six matches across all competitions. The Etihad crowd, visibly frustrated, booed the team off the pitch. City now sit 15th in the Champions League table, two points shy of an automatic knockout-stage qualification spot.
When asked about the crowd’s reaction, Guardiola defended the supporters’ disappointment:
“The last game against Tottenham, the 0-4 [defeat], they were there supporting us, applauding. Of course, they are disappointed; we understand.
“People come here not to remember the success in the past. They come here today to see the team win and perform well.”
Guardiola refrained from criticizing Josko Gvardiol, whose defensive errors contributed to Feyenoord’s late comeback.
“He’s so young, he will learn,” Guardiola remarked. “He was the best player on the pitch. It would be so wrong to point out specific mistakes. He’s a fantastic player, a fantastic boy, and now, more than ever, he must be helped.”
The result heaps pressure on Guardiola and his squad, as they aim to rekindle their winning form in a challenging stretch of the season.