'This is business' - Guardiola unhappy with Man City penalty despite win

Manchester City are 4 points wide astatine the apical and successful power of the Premier League rubric race, but their manager Pep Guardiola inactive wasn't blessed aft his side's 2-1 triumph implicit Leeds.

Leading 2-0 with six minutes to go, City were cruising towards a 10th-successive triumph and were handed a accidental to wrapper up the points erstwhile Phil Foden was fouled successful the box.

Step guardant the deadliest finisher successful the onshore - their prolific 51-goal striker and regular astatine spot-kicks, Haaland… oregon truthful you would think.

Instead, Haaland handed the shot to Gundogan, who was connected a hat-trick aft scoring some of those earlier goals.

Gundogan deed the post, and 58 seconds aboriginal Leeds went up the different extremity to marque it 2-1 - ensuring a nervy decorativeness to a crippled that City had wholly controlled.

The determination did not spell down good with his manager, who made it wide to some players that helium had wanted Haaland to instrumentality the penalty.

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"First helium [Guardiola] showed to Erling that helium was rather huffy astir that and past besides helium had a spell astatine me," Gundogan explained. "It is what it is successful the end.

"The infinitesimal Erling grabbed the ball, I was definite helium was going to instrumentality it but helium looked retired for me. I checked with him a fewer times to marque definite helium was sure. He was definite to manus the shot to me. I was assured to score. I can't adjacent retrieve if the keeper saved it oregon it was the post?

"We should person scored a third. This is sometimes however it is that they spell connected the antagonistic and score. Things tin change, momentum tin shift. But we dealt rather good with it and deserved the 3 points."

'The taker is the taker'

Guardiola had calmed down a small by the clip helium faced the media aft the lucifer but helium was inactive adamant Haaland should person taken the penalty, fixed the concern his broadside were in.

"The crippled is not over," Guardiola said. "It shows however bully and generous Erling is. If it is 4-0 with 10 minutes left, OK.

"But astatine 2-0? At 2-0, particularly successful England, it is ne'er over.

"Erling is the champion punishment taker close present truthful helium has to instrumentality it. I privation the subordinate who is the taker, due to the fact that they person much regular and a specialism. He has possibly taken 10 oregon 11 penalties and helium had the feeling - Gundogan does not person that close now.

"I respect the information Gundogan wanted the work to instrumentality the punishment - that is the champion worth successful a subordinate - but usually the taker is the taker, and Erling had to instrumentality it due to the fact that helium is our specialist.

"Today Erling could person scored 2 oregon 3 goals. He played incredibly well, successful his question and however helium fought for us. I similar to praise him erstwhile helium does not score.

"If Gundogan scores the punishment everyone is 'OK, hat-trick, good done'. But a taker is simply a taker. At 2-0, this is simply a business, not a concern wherever we cannot hide it."

Another measurement towards different Premier League title

City person present gone 20 games unbeaten successful each competitions and this triumph was different measurement towards their 3rd successive Premier League title, portion of their bid for a Treble that besides includes the FA Cup and Champions League.

They person played catch-up to Arsenal for astir of the play and trailed the Gunners by 8 points successful January but, with some sides near with 4 games to play, they person opened up a important pb for the archetypal clip - not that they are taking thing for granted.

"Probably the champion informing astir that is today," Gundogan added.

"But we person an experienced squad and person had these benignant of run-ins successful caller years. We cognize what to bash to support the momentum going and triumph games. Nothing much but besides thing less."

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