Guardiola Is Set To Be In Charge Of City’s Reaction To Their EPL Charge.

Just as Erling Haaland’s top was beginning to whirl over his head, Manchester City overtook Arsenal at the top of the Premier League. A late penalty gave Fulham the victory as City was down a man for more than an hour after Joao Cancelo’s dismissal.

The champs were poised to go on a run that would skewer the opposition on Bonfire Night. Pep Guardiola entered the locker room and delivered one of his well-known stirring addresses.

He informed his team that it was one of the best performances of his coaching career. Those in attendance thought it was a season-defining scene and characterized the moments as “emotional.” Later, Guardiola agreed to a new deal.

What distinguishes this most recent championship defense, however, was a 16-hour period from Sunday night to Monday morning. Horrible performance by Tottenham—slow, sluggish, gifting the winner—and then that thunderbolt of a statement, which was abruptly posted on the Premier League website.

Guardiola will be elevated if this unfolds like the long slew of scandals that have dogged City in previous years. Within two hours on Monday, the club released a forceful, though terse, statement, and they would vehemently defend their stance with confidence in their own rightness. But we won’t hear anything from the boardroom if their response to the UEFA allegations in 2020 is any indication.