Pattaya One News
Home » Guardiola Defends Khusanov After Rocky Debut Against Chelsea
Football International News Sport Sport World

Guardiola Defends Khusanov After Rocky Debut Against Chelsea

Guardiola Defends Khusanov After Rocky Debut Against Chelsea

Abdukodir Khusanov had a debut to forget as Manchester City rallied to secure a victory against Chelsea after overcoming an early error from the 20-year-old.

Pep Guardiola defended his decision to include Khusanov in the lineup during the crucial top-four clash at home, stating he had no other available options. With Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake sidelined by injury and John Stones still recovering, Guardiola faced a tough decision, relying heavily on Manuel Akanji and the debutant Khusanov.

Unfortunately for Khusanov, he was quickly at fault for Chelsea’s opening goal just two minutes in and received a yellow card moments later. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca noted that his team intentionally targeted the young defender early on. “We exploited the situation well by scoring first and capitalizing on his yellow card,” Maresca said. “We could have scored again but missed the chance.”

Criticism arose from pundits as well, with Jamie Redknapp suggesting that Guardiola made a mistake by fielding Khusanov in such a challenging match against a team like Chelsea.

Guardiola, however, stood firm in his support for Khusanov, denying thoughts of substituting him during the first half to shield him from further pressure. Nevertheless, he did substitute Khusanov in the 54th minute, explaining that the yellow card was the primary reason for the change, rather than Stones being fit enough to join.

“In this type of situation, there’s not much to say,” Guardiola commented. “He knows he made a mistake. What can I say to him—‘Don’t make mistakes?’ He didn’t intend to do that. His teammates’ reaction was fantastic, showing great support.”

Guardiola pointed out that Khusanov had not practiced with the team since joining just earlier that week and had only engaged in recovery sessions following their match against Ipswich. “He’s very young and will learn from this experience,” Guardiola said. “Dealing with the talent of players like Jackson and Palmer is not easy.”

In summary, while Khusanov faced a challenging debut, Guardiola believes he possesses the potential to grow stronger from the experience, reinforced by the support of his teammates.

Credit: Manchester Evening News

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected]

Related posts

Pattaya One New Thailand, your go-to source for global and local news, alongside effective business advertising opportunities, tailored to the vibrant city of Pattaya.
Translate »