Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has reacted to his side’s emphatic 4-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in their opening Premier League fixture, admitting that while the first-half performance impressed him, the second-half display fell below his expectations. The defending champions kicked off their title defense with goals from Erling Haaland, who struck twice across both halves, while Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki—two of City’s newest signings—also found the back of the net. Despite the convincing scoreline, Guardiola was quick to highlight the dip in intensity after the interval, suggesting that it may have been due to a lack of full match fitness, as City had played limited pre-season friendlies. Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, Guardiola analyzed the game in detail: “The first half was good, but the second was not. The attitude and many things were good, but in the second half, Wolves played better in certain moments. Still, winning 4-0 and improving is positive.” The Spaniard praised his summer signings, particularly Reijnders, who he described as one of the standout players from Serie A last season: “All the new ones impressed. Tijjani was among the best players in Serie A; his rhythm is unbelievable. In the first game, you never know what to expect. We didn’t play many warm-up matches in pre-season, but there were many positives, especially in the first half.” Guardiola admitted that his squad’s drop in tempo during the second period is not unusual at this stage of the season: “In the second half, we dropped too much. Maybe that is normal in the beginning of the season.” Key Takeaway While Manchester City opened their season in dominant fashion, Guardiola’s sharp remarks underline his constant demand for perfection. With the Premier League season just underway, the champions will look to fine-tune their performance levels as they aim to retain the title once again.
