“We made poor decisions at crucial moments that could have secured a 2-0 lead. Newcastle only had 10 minutes of joy, but in reality, we dominated the game,” Pep Guardiola admitted, acknowledging that his team’s mistakes allowed Newcastle to take the points despite their limited chances.
Pep Guardiola acknowledged that “poor decisions” affected Manchester City’s performance in their 1-1 draw against Newcastle on Saturday.
**WHAT HAPPENED?**
City faced Newcastle, with Josko Gvardiol scoring the opener before Anthony Gordon equalized from the penalty spot. This match was City’s first since learning that Rodri will miss the rest of the season due to an ACL injury, making it challenging for them to secure a win without him.
**THE BIGGER PICTURE**
Guardiola felt City had sufficient opportunities to win but were hindered by their decision-making in the final third. Although the team remains unbeaten this season, they have dropped points in their tight title race with Arsenal.
**WHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID**
Guardiola told TNT Sports: “They had some moments in the first 10 minutes and after their goal, but overall we played quite well. We made poor decisions in the final minutes that prevented us from making it 2-0. It’s always tough here due to their physicality and deep defending. We had chances, but [Nick] Pope was outstanding, so we’ll take the point. After we scored, we played better, but then we made a mistake, and they improved. However, we regained control and created chances to win.”
**WHAT’S NEXT?**
City will face Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League midweek before taking on Fulham in the Premier League.
