Guardiola openly praises Phillips for his penalty goal at Manchester City, expressing admiration for the midfielder who scored his inaugural goal since joining the team last year.
In the Champions League match against Crvena Zvezda, Phillips, making only his second start of the season for the defending champions, delivered an impressive performance that contributed to City’s hard-fought 3-2 victory.
When a penalty was awarded with City leading 2-1, initially Phil Foden seemed set to take it. However, after discussions on the pitch involving Phillips and Bernardo Silva, the decision was made to assign the former Leeds star with the task of converting.
Post-match, Guardiola lauded Phillips’ penalty-taking skills, mentioning, “He’s an exceptional taker.” Despite the challenges posed by the opposition’s aggressive play and interruptions during the game, Guardiola appreciated Phillips’ ability to perform effectively at crucial moments.
With ongoing speculation surrounding Phillips’ future and potential moves to clubs like Newcastle and Juventus, Guardiola remained noncommittal when asked about Phillips’ status post-January transfer window, stating, “I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Despite Phillips’ goal celebration receiving scrutiny due to his seemingly restrained reaction, hinting at a possible departure, Guardiola remains focused on Phillips contributing to City’s efforts in the upcoming games.
