Guardiola commended the two players in an interview with TNT Sports following the game, which may seem surprising given City’s disorganized and vulnerable performance throughout the night.
“The first half was really good,” he said of the match’s overall result. “From my perspective, we created many opportunities and scored a goal.
But sometimes we miss simple things, like allowing them to run freely, which caused us some problems. It’s something we need to avoid after the third and fourth goals.”
He added, “That young man [Simpson-Pusey] played really well, and so did Rico. You can’t always use the same starting lineup or back four with such a busy schedule.”
“It’s been a tough season for us, but that’s just how it goes.”
