Pep Guardiola was happy with all his players after the victory against Barcelona, but he was especially pleased with the hard work that Pablo Zabaleta delivered after having to deal with Neymar for 90 minutes. The Argentine barely let Neymar breathe, Pep Guardiola was really happy with his performance because the Brazilian wasn't able to create too much danger.
Pep told the press that: "The important thing is we showed the way to compete against the big teams – like Zabaleta, for two weeks with no training session after the Barcelona game. [Monday] was the first day. [On Tuesday] he arrived and said 'I'm ready if you need me'. So he played against Neymar. Guys… Neymar! And he played how he played. That is the steps to go forward. That is why I am so pleased – for my guys, for the team, because from the beginning we said, 'win or lose, in the end we will try'."
But overall, every single City player gave a stellar second half at Etihad Stadium, the critics now can't get enough of Guardiola's brilliance, but you know how football is. One day you are their hero and the next day you are a complete and utter failure.
Photo credit: FC Barcelona