LONDON: Going to Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup helped Manchester City pull themselves together and refocus, manager Pep Guardiola said after the champions got their Premier League campaign back on track with a 3-1 comeback victory over Everton on Wednesday.
In their first match since winning the Club World Cup, City climbed back into the league’s top four thanks to second-half goals by Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez and Bernardo Silva.
City moved above Tottenham Hotspur into fourth place with 37 points from 18 games, five behind leaders Liverpool, having played a game less.
City’s quest for an unprecedented fourth successive league title hit turbulence before Christmas with a defeat by third-placed Aston Villa and draws against Tottenham and Crystal Palace, but Guardiola was pleased with the mentality his players showed at Goodison Park.
“I remember on the plane coming back from Saudi Arabia, I listened to the players when they didn’t know I was listening, and they started to talk about Everton,” Guardiola said. (Reuters)
