Pep Guardiola Admires James McAtee Post First Champions League Goal: “Everyone Adores Him”

Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola showered praises on academy product James McAtee after the 21-year-old midfielder scored his first goal in the ongoing Champions League season. Goals from Gundogan, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland and McAtee led to City’s comfortable 4-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia.

Guardiola emphasised some of the most standout performances while giving a post-match interview, but McAtee remained a focal point. “Everyone adores him,” Guardiola said. “You saw the reaction of the players, so everyone loves him. He scored and had a few more chances.”

After spending the major chunk of the last two seasons on loan at Sheffield United, McAtee came off the bench in the second half. Even though Guardiola acknowledged that although McAtee might not be a regular starter yet, he had immense potential to help the team in future matches. “With teams who play so deep, he has the quality to find it,”Guardiola added.

Other Important Contributions

Phil Foden was another standout player who set up McAtee’s goal and indicated signs of regaining his position in top form after fitness concerns earlier in the season. “He made a fantastic goal,” Guardiola said about Foden. “He’s getting back to his best step by step, and Phil is really important for us.”

Guardiola also appreciated Rico Lewis, who started at right-back in place of regular captain Kyle Walker, “The way Rico is playing, there are no words. He made an assist and is really strong,” the City manager stated.

Even though being substituted after his 42nd Champions League goal left Erling Haaland frustrated, Guardiola insisted that the decision was taken considering the Norwegian’s long-term fitness.

Talking about the team’s first win of the campaign after a previous draw against Inter Milan, Guardiola said, “We created a lot of chances, and we are improving step by step. It was a good night.”

Even after the defeat, Slovan Bratislava manager Vladimir Weiss Sr has praised City and called them “the best team in the world.”