Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that his players are struggling with excessive anxiety on the pitch. His comments came after City’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the highly anticipated derby at the Etihad Stadium.
City were leading 1-0 until the final stages of the match, but conceded two late goals, failing to hold onto their lead after a disastrous mistake by Matheus Nunes and goalkeeper Ederson, which was capitalized on by United's Amad Diallo.
Guardiola Reveals Anxiety is Affecting Manchester City Players
Speaking after the match, Guardiola said: "Football, like life, is about emotion and how you feel. Right now, we are more anxious with and without the ball."
He continued: "The worst thing for any defender or striker in the box is anxiety. You need to have composure and calmness, knowing nothing will go wrong and making decisions with a clear mind."
Guardiola emphasized: "Momentum and confidence are high, and both the players and I are doing our best. Everything we have done is because we solved it."
The City manager concluded: "I’ve told them many times to relax. When you’re in the box, you always have time and space, but we’re not doing that right now."
It’s worth noting that Manchester United’s new manager, Ruben Amorim, became the first manager since Sir Alex Ferguson to win his debut Manchester derby against City.
