Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has praised Bournemouth’s aggressive approach following his side’s 2-1 defeat in Saturday’s Premier League clash, Softfootball reports.
The reigning champions suffered their first league defeat of the season after Bournemouth outmuscled and outplayed City for large periods at the Vitality Stadium.
Guardiola admitted that his players struggled to cope with the hosts’ physicality and relentless intensity, despite creating chances late in the game.
He noted that Bournemouth’s extended preparation time gave them an advantage and acknowledged that City failed to win key duels in midfield and other 50-50 situations.
The Spaniard also pointed to his squad’s current fitness imbalance, explaining that some players have accumulated heavy minutes while others are still lacking match sharpness. According to Guardiola, this made it difficult for City to match Bournemouth’s energy throughout the contest.
Although City improved after the break and pulled a goal back through Josko Gvardiol, Guardiola felt his side could not sustain the momentum needed to rescue a result.
The defeat followed City’s midweek Carabao Cup loss to Tottenham Hotspur, marking back-to-back defeats for the Premier League champions for the first time this season.
