Pep Guardiola sends personal apology to “Algerian people” following Riyad Mahrez decision | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has issued an apology to Algerians following his decision to keep Riyad Mahrez on the bench against Newcastle United.

Phil Foden held down the right-wing position against the north-east club on Saturday afternoon, with the England international currently engaged in a rich vein of form under Pep Guardiola.

Foden repaid the manager’s decision almost immediately, scoring a sensational solo goal to give Manchester City the lead in a contest that would ultimately end in a 2-0 victory after Bernardo Silva’s second-half strike.

Phil Foden’s opener at the weekend meant that the Manchester City star became the youngest player to reach 50 Premier League involvements for the reigning Champions at 22 years and 280 days old – now totalling 33 goals and 17 assists.

But while Pep Guardiola was left glowing with the performance of the Club’s finest academy product in decades, Riyad Mahrez’s omission from the starting line-up was put under the spotlight during the post-match press conference at the Etihad Stadium.

Upon being quizzed on the decision not to introduce Mahrez into the weekend’s victory over Eddie Howe’s side, Pep Guardiola said, “I am so sorry for the Algerian people. It’s not my intention to make you feel sad.”

Guardiola continued, “But we have other players, for example Julian (Alvarez) from Argentina – who always will be sad with me because he didn’t play. There is Sergio Gomez who is from Spain that is upset with me, also Kalvin Phillips didn’t play today and all the British people are upset with me because he didn’t play.

“I have to take decisions. I have a huge opinion about Riyad; an exceptional player. But in that moment, Phil (Foden) has one rhythm higher, and Jack (Grealish) gives us a lot in terms of longer possessions too like Bernardo (Silva) and his commitment to receive and be aggressive against a back-four.

“That’s why I decide today with them. I felt during the game they were playing good, they were active, that is why I didn’t make a substitution. I said after Leipzig, we draw and the people say, ‘Why didn’t you use the substitutions?’ I said, ‘Because I felt it’. And today I make one because I felt it. If I don’t feel it, I don’t do it.”

City will now have an entire week off before returning to Premier League action, as they begin preparations for an away trip to Selhurst Park to take on Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace squad next Saturday.

Pep Guardiola and his players currently find themselves five points adrift of league leaders Arsenal, who stunned their competitors by coming from behind to beat Bournemouth 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium, with the visitors opening the scoring after nine seconds.