Pep Guardiola responded to criticism regarding his treatment of Jack Grealish following the draw with Arsenal by sarcastically stating, “I do it for the cameras.”
After Sunday’s 0-0 draw, Guardiola was seen animatedly giving Grealish a series of instructions on the pitch immediately after the final whistle.
The Manchester City manager has faced criticism for his tendency to confront players on the pitch post-game rather than in the dressing room.
Jack Grealish (Via Premier League/Twitter)
When asked about his interaction with Grealish, Guardiola dismissed the criticism.
“I do it for the cameras, my ego,” Guardiola, 53, said during a news conference on Tuesday. “I’m the famous person of the team and I need the cameras to go to sleep with incredible satisfaction.
“I always try to criticize the players there [on the pitch] and let them know how bad they are. Especially when Erling [Haaland] scores three goals, the cameras have to be on me.”
City are set to play against Grealish’s former club Aston Villa at the Etihad on Wednesday as they aim to keep up with Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola (Via Premier League/Twitter)
Kyle Walker, Éderson, and Nathan Aké have all been ruled out, but John Stones, who was surprisingly included on the bench against Arsenal, could return.
“John may be [fit], but the other two have no chance,” Guardiola said. “[Stones] has to feel fully fit, but the injury was less than we expected at the moment, but we will see. Maybe for the next games, he will be ready.”
Villa has already beaten City once this season, winning 1-0 at Villa Park in December — a game Guardiola described as his team’s worst performance of the season.
“We deserved to lose the game,” he said. “Aston Villa plays to qualify for the Champions League, and every team plays for something. The last games are always difficult to manage for all of us.”
