Guardiola stays calm – for now
Pep Guardiola brushed off questions on whether late goals concern him. “I have many worries, but not this one,” he said. After Wednesday’s match against Monaco, he may need to reconsider. Manchester City twice let a lead slip and conceded a 90th-minute equalizer from England defender Eric Dier.
Erling Haaland extended his impressive scoring run with both of City’s goals. Yet he criticized the team’s overall performance. “We shouldn’t feel good that we didn’t win,” the Norwegian said. “We made unnecessary mistakes in the second half and didn’t play well enough. We don’t deserve to win. We need more energy and must attack more aggressively.”
Growing concerns over late goals
City looked set for back-to-back wins in the Champions League, but Dier’s composed penalty rescued Monaco. The team remains unbeaten in six games, yet a worrying trend appears: City concede too many late goals. Half of the eight goals conceded in all competitions came at crucial moments.
- 23 August: 2-0 home loss to Tottenham, conceding in the third minute of first-half stoppage time
- 31 August: 2-1 loss at Brighton, conceding in the 89th minute
- 21 September: 1-1 draw at Arsenal, conceding in the 93rd minute
- 1 October: 2-2 draw at Monaco, conceding in the 90th minute
These late goals cost City three Premier League points and two in the Champions League. They also missed a chance to improve their poor European away record, now winless in five consecutive road matches.
Experts urge calm
Last season, City ended without a major trophy, exited the Champions League in the playoff round, and finished third in the league. “There’s no need to panic,” former United midfielder Nicky Butt said. “It isn’t normal to repeatedly concede late. City have players who can win games and titles. They will compete again but need a fit, coordinated squad for the new year.”
The Monaco penalty debate
In the final minutes, Dier leapt to head a free-kick but was struck on the head by City substitute Nico Gonzalez. Dier scored from the resulting penalty after a five-minute delay as the referee reviewed the incident. Guardiola argued Gonzalez touched the ball first and had no intent to foul. Haaland added: “If you kick someone in the face, it’s probably a penalty.”
Butt criticized City’s defense: “Dier ran aggressively, defenders let him bully them. Minimal contact, but a stupid error in the last minute. A clear penalty in European football.” Former City defender Nedum Onuoha noted: “It’s nice to see an Englishman score a penalty in a World Cup year.” Despite the goal, City endured a bitter experience.
