You had three goals disallowed and hit the woodwork twice. Would you agree it could have been a greater scoreline? Also, Pep Guardiola mentioned that the challenge by Dalot on Doku warranted a straight red card. What are your thoughts on that incident?
“I won’t give you a definitive answer on that—I haven’t actually seen it, to be honest. From my viewpoint, it appeared that Diogo got a touch on the ball. I thought he kicked it away, so I didn’t view it as a bad challenge at all. I’ve heard there were concerns about the force of the challenge, but since I haven’t seen it, I can’t comment further. Games like this involve swings in momentum and key decisions. As you mentioned, we could have scored more goals due to the narrow offside calls, which I haven’t reviewed, but I felt we consistently posed a threat throughout the match, starting with Harry’s header. We aimed to play with intent, knowing how proficient they are in possession and how they can put us under pressure. You can’t chase the ball for the entirety of the game, so we sought to maintain a strong attacking approach, and I think our front four, supported by the players behind them, performed exceptionally well today.”
Alongside the quality displayed, there was a remarkable fight and aggression from every player. Fans haven’t consistently seen that level of commitment. How can you ensure that this intensity is maintained over the remaining 16 games, rather than being a one-off?
“That’s the ultimate challenge, and we need to make it a regular occurrence. Look, we understand that not every match will carry the same emotion and intensity that today did. However, we have to establish certain standards and expectations for ourselves, just as much as from those observing us. I’m fully aware of this. Consistency is crucial for success, and if we can achieve that, we’ll be in a good position, so that’s our goal. We need to figure out how to make it happen. We have a big match next week against Arsenal, another tough challenge ahead. But coming off today’s performance, we have a solid foundation to build upon.”
