Nico Gonzalez’s best position and Abdukodir Khusanov’s unfair treatment – Every Word from part two of Pep Guardiola’s post-Newcastle press conference | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hinted at Premier League match officials handling challenges made by Abdukodir Khusanov unfairly so far this season.

The Premier League champions dismissed of Eddie Howe’s side with ease on Saturday afternoon as a first-half hat-trick from January recruit Omar Marmoush, coupled with a late James McAtee strike, provided the ultimate comeback from disappointment in the week.

City came into the clash with the Magpies off the back of a late comeback from Real Madrid in the Champions League as goals from Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham overturned a lead restored by Erling Haaland from the penalty spot in a first-leg last-16 play-off tie.

The weekend brought about the much-needed additions of Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico Gonzalez, and Omar Marmoush to the starting line-up for the first time since their respective arrivals and the difference made to performance was telling.

Now, following the release of the second-half of Pep Guardiola’s post-match address with reporters after a 4-0 win over Newcastle, here is every single word from the Manchester City manager on the likes of Nico Gonzalez, Real Madrid, and Abdukodir Khusanov.

On whether the win gives confidence for Wednesday night vs Real Madrid

“Listen, there are many, many games that we won not playing at the level that we play and at the end we lost. And that was not just the three points, it was how it affected our minds for the next game. It’s happened a lot, a lot of times.

“Of course, this victory helps us but listen; the margin to win at the Bernabeu in that position and everybody knows that if you ask before that game the person touches to go through, I don’t know, we arrive one per cent… It will be minor.

“But as much as you have a chance, we will try, that’s for sure. We are going, like always we have done, but this season the reality is we have been miles, miles away to… If you tell me, ‘If you had performed like today you would finish 22nd in the Champions League?’ Of course not! We would have finished higher!

“But the reality is we have been really, really poor in performance and results this season and just for one game today that we played really good is not going to change the opinion and reality of the team that it is right now.

“And we are still not good in terms of day by day being there, but of course it’s better to travel to Madrid with this result than imagining another defeat in the last minutes. At the end, OK, the chance is minor because the result was not good; five minutes ago, 2-1, it would have been different but with 2-3, the chance it is…

“But as much as you have a chance, we are going to take it. And we will see what happens.”

On Nico Gonzalez’s best position

“I think he can play in both positions (six and eight); in Barcelona he played more as a number eight – that means he’s a guy who arrives into the box, the ability to dribble. But when he arrived, we met each other, you forget about it to play in that position and you have to mentally prepare to play there in front of the central defenders.

“But the role that (Ilkay) Gundo has done in the Treble year, or the Quadruple, that can be an attacking midfielder, a holding midfielder, this double position – he can do it perfectly. He can do with Rodri, that shape to go forward and back, he can help us.

(Teammates benefitted from him against Newcastle?) “Absolutely! So you ask me why today we played good? For many reasons! It’s not because just (Omar) Marmoush – the highlights, and he deserves it.

“It’s because Nico was there, and Nico because maybe (Abdukodir) Khusanov was there, or maybe the best John (Stones) is there, maybe because of the passes from Eddy was there. Always when I analyse that player played bad or that player played good, and everything is connected.

“Our high pressing was good, and our movements from the full-backs was good, and this is what we try to do.”

On Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias for Real Madrid

“I hope so! Today were not good; Ruben said, ‘I’m not ready to play 90 minutes, maybe 15, 20’. But having Vitor (Reis) on the bench we didn’t want to risk, and Nathan (Ake) had sick and problems after the game against Madrid. So both they were not ready to play.”

On Abdukodir Khusanov

“Yeah, he was whistled two or three times, he’s so aggressive in the one-against-one. But apparently it’s just a foul from him, and other central defenders with prestige it would not be a foul. I think he will…

“It was not easy that he arrived in the first day against Chelsea, what happened in the (first) minutes, it’s not easy from Uzbekistan or France to come here and since then he didn’t play. And today he played again for the circumstances of Ruben (Dias), Manu Akanji, and Nathan (Ake) and so on, and it’s really good for him, for all of us, the potential that we visualise he can have.

“His composure with the ball, and he’s so extremely fast, the backwards when he has to run with (Alexander) Isak he can handle it, he’s so fast. The decision making has to improve but it’s a question of age.

“But the most important is that he settled really, really well; he’s so shy, doesn’t talk much, and he’s so like this and I think he will help us a lot. He settled really good with the team and the same – like Nico (Gonzalez) – they are so young, like Vitor (Reis), and for the next years we have a player that Manchester City can develop and perform well.”