- Guardiola assessed Wembley display
- Man City beat Chelsea in FA Cup final
- Previous finals used as comparison
Pep Guardiola was delighted to see Manchester City lift the FA Cup, but the Catalan was still honest about his side’s performance at Wembley.
The FA Cup final delivered another trophy for Man City. However, Guardiola’s post-match assessment was not built around easy praise.
His side had to grind through a tight final against Chelsea. Fortunately, Antoine Semenyo’s improvised finish eventually separated the two teams at the final whistle.
It was a reversal of the previous defeats at Wembley as City had lost two FA Cup finals in their last two campaigns.
Regardless, despite being the better side in London, Guardiola wasn’t convinced that his men were more polished than in the preceding finals.
Pep Guardiola makes Man City performance admission
Speaking after the FA Cup final, Guardiola admitted that City had played better in previous Wembley finals they failed to win.
Despite seeming pessimistic on the surface, it was an honest assessment from the Catalan gaffer. This integrity is one of the things that has kept him at the top throughout his managerial career.
“It’s special to win, but I had the feeling that last season against Crystal Palace and two seasons ago against United, we were better than today, but these types of games, the margins are so minimal,” Guardiola said.
Stats back up Guardiola’s honest Wembley verdict
Opta recorded only 16 shots in the entire game, the fewest in an FA Cup final since the company’s records began in 2005.
Likewise, City had fewer shots on Saturday than against Crystal Palace and Manchester United. Guardiola’s men recorded nine shots against Chelsea.
However, last season, City took 23 shots against Palace in the FA Cup final and 19 against United in the previous one.
They also had lower possession, recording 56% against the Blues, 78% against the Eagles, and 74% against the Red Devils.
Regardless, the Citizens can be said to have been more efficient this time around. Semenyo’s back heel flick proved enough quality to score a goal despite lower dominance this time around.
Guardiola will hope for more efficiency against Bournemouth
Man City had more of the ball, but they weren’t dominant enough to fully suffocate Chelsea. However, Guardiola will be hoping for even more efficiency against Bournemouth.
While the Sky Blues will probably be more dominant, also being as efficient as on Saturday will benefit the side.
If Arsenal’s possible slip only results in a draw, then the decider will be GD. However, City are only one step ahead in that contest.
With more dominance expected against the Cherries, higher efficiency will also be welcome to widen the GD gap.
