Manchester City are currently four points ahead at the top of the Premier League table and appear to be in control of the title race.
However, despite his team’s 2-1 win over Leeds, City manager Pep Guardiola expressed dissatisfaction with the penalty incident involving Erling Haaland and Ilkay Gundogan.
Guardiola reminded the players that “this is a business,” after Gundogan’s late penalty miss gave Sam Allardyce’s side a chance to get back into the game.
City were leading 2-0 with just six minutes remaining when they were awarded a penalty after Phil Foden was fouled in the box.
With prolific striker Haaland and regular spot-kick taker available, it was expected that he would take the penalty.
However, Haaland passed the ball to Gundogan, who was on a hat-trick after scoring both of City’s earlier goals.
Unfortunately, Gundogan hit the post, and 58 seconds later Leeds scored to make it 2-1, setting up a nervy finish for City.
“I was sure he was going to take it but he looked out for me“. Gundogan said after the game
“He Handed the Ball over to me and i was confident that I was going to score. I can’t even remember if the keeper saved it or it hit the ,post. We should have scored a third“. Gundogan said After the game
Guardiola also had this to say:
” The game was not over”.
“It demonstrates how nice Erling is but if there are 10 minutes remaining and the score is 4-0, then it’s fine”.
“But at 2-0? Especially in England, a game is never done when it is 2-0”.
“Erling must take it because he is now the best penalty taker. Because they have more routine and a specialty, I want the player who is the taker”.
” It’s fine that Gundogan wanted to be the one to take the penalty because it is the best quality in a player, but typically the taker always takes the penalty, so Erling had to because he is our Penalty expert”.
“If Gundogan scores the penalty everyone is ‘OK, hat-trick, well done’. But a taker is a taker. At 2-0, this is a business, not a situation where we cannot forget it”
Manchester City now travel to Real Madrid for the First Leg of the UEFA Champions League Semi Final on Tuesday.