Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola reacts as he talks with Southampton's English midfielder Nathan Redmond following the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Southampton at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on November 29, 2017.Manchester City won the match 2-1. / AFP PHOTO / Oli SCARFFÂ
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been asked by the Football Association (FA) to explain his part in a lively post-match confrontation with Southampton’s Nathan Redmond, the English governing body said Friday.
Premier League leaders City beat the Saints 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium thanks to Raheem Sterling’s superb stoppage-time winner.
Guardiola, who has until December 4 to respond to the FA, said after Wednesday’s match that the reason he appeared to be exchanging angry words with Redmond was because of Southampton’s “time-wasting” tactics.
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“I was telling him how good a player he is,” Guardiola insisted. “Last season he destroyed us here and I didn’t know him. Today, he could not attack because they defended all the time.
“Southampton have some super-talented players, Redmond is so good one-against-one. But they didn’t want to play, they were time-wasting from the ninth minute.”
Redmond insisted Thursday that he had not been offended by Guardiola’s remarks as he confirmed the City manager’s version of events in a Twitter statement.
“Yes he was very passionate, intense and aggressive but he was only very complimentary and positive to me,” Redmond said. “He commented on my qualities as a young English player and how he wanted me to attack his team more during the game in a similar way to last season.
“I told him I was doing what my manager had asked me to do in the game. That’s it. Nothing negative or offensive was said towards me from Pep and that’s what makes him one of the best managers in world football.
“Losing the game the way we did in the last kick of the game after working so hard for 90+ minutes I was very disappointment (sic) but when one of the world’s best managers compliments you or gives advice in any way, you listen.”
City, eight points clear at the top of the table, play West Ham at the Etihad on Sunday.
Source: G Sport
