Savinho injury update and Phil Foden’s continued absence – Every word from part two of Pep Guardiola’s Brentford review | OneFootball

Updates on Manchester City’s latest injury concern and the ongoing absence of Phil Foden from match action were among the newest topics discussed by Pep Guardiola.

The Catalan coach was speaking after the club secured their fourth successive win of the ongoing season, ensuring a 100 per cent start to the new campaign and maintaining their place in top spot by two points.

An Erling Haaland brace in the first-half at the Etihad Stadium cancelled out Yoane Wissa’s opener for Brentford inside 30 seconds, following lapses of concentration from Kyle Walker and miscommunication between Ederson and John Stones inside the six-yard box.

The win means that Manchester City and Arsenal represents a clash between the top-two next weekend, and victory for either side would see them set down an early marker of intent to their fellow competitor for the top-flight crown.

Following another weekend of three points being claimed by the reigning Premier League champions, here is every word from part two of Pep Guardiola’s review press conference from the 2-1 win over Brentford!

On Rodri’s return – great to have him back?

“Ah, come on… He came there and played really good. He’s been injured, played a few minutes for the (Spanish) national team and we say thank you so much for not letting him play a lot of minutes, and today he played his first 45 (minutes for Manchester City this season).

“I asked him how did you feel, and he said, ‘Yeah, I felt good’. Rodri, come on. Rodri is so important for us, but (Mateo) Kova has been amazing, and when Rodri cannot play all the matches Kova is there and we rotate, because we need that.

“Today is important that (Ilkay) Gundo had extra minutes and Kyle (Walker) had his first minutes, John (Stones) had his first minutes – so it’s really good to have that.”

On Phil Foden’s continued absence

“He feels good, but he didn’t train not too many training sessions. So it’s step by step. But I’m… come on, I’m delighted that he’s back! I need him, we need him desperately.

“This player is so important for us, and it’s important that he started to train this week and three, four, or five training sessions. And the game was tight, and the game was in situations difficult, and I decided for other options.”

On Savinho’s apparent injury

“It looks like cramp, he said cramp. But I didn’t speak with the doctor, we will see.”

On whether there are any concerns about Manchester City’s start against Brentford

“When did we concede first? (Ipswich) Ipswich? Oh yeah, bad memory, Pep… Yeah, what’s important is that we don’t drop points. It’s a good lesson. Against that team, to concede a goal is a nightmare. We were lucky.

“Erling (Haaland) from a deflection scored a goal, otherwise the game was closer to 0-2 than 1-1. It was closer. The players know it, that’s why at half-time I didn’t say anything, it was just, ‘Okay do what you have to do’.

“But that is the reality of the Premier League; look at the results this season, this weekend, or the previous. There will be a lot of surprises with this amount of games, and it’s going to happen one day that we’re going to drop points here.

“But still, okay, today with a tough, tough, really tough game, we could survive with our mentality and especially because in the second-half we adjust a little bit our high pressing, and especially we did really, really, really well the process to find the right moments.”

On the new UEFA Champions League format

“No opinion about that; they decided to do this, and we’re going to play two more games. I don’t have an opinion. So the format, UEFA decided and we want to be there, so we will play that format.”

On whether this season could be the toughest yet for players due to the schedule

“Yeah, it’s more games. But it is what it is! What can we do?! We’re going to play Wednesday against the best team in Italy by a big margin in the last seasons, and after we’re going to play Sunday with the best contender we have had in the last two seasons, and on Tuesday – Sunday to Tuesday another game – and go!

“It doesn’t matter. We have an academy, and we would like to have… But it is what it is! Just to adapt, and go! I like to play the Champions League, honestly. And we’re going to play it!”