What are you reflections on the win?
Really happy. It’s a really tough place to come, they’re a really well organised team and I think we dominated the game, we created lots of chances, we kept a clean sheet and we won the game in a convincing way. So I’m very happy.
How much do you value players like Ramsdale getting angry to keep the clean sheet?
A lot. It’s that love for defending that 11 players have to be committed too for 96 minutes. I saw that again today. It’s going to be crucial if we want to keep winning games.
After so many late winners how good is not to be pushed to the limit in the same way?
Well to me it does push me to the limit because in the Premier League 1-0 or 2-0 is not enough. Obviously with 3-0 the game changes, but there was still a lot to play for. We dropped the levels a bit in the first few minutes of the second half, but I think the boys had an outstanding performance against a top team so today is a day to praise them.
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How good was Trossard?
When we talk about composure and finding the right pass and finding the right colour when it’s looking really blurry in the box, he’s the opposite. He got three assists and could have scored two. I think he was really impressive. Not only that, he had an injury three days ago which could have taken a week, or another 10 days, but he was really willing to come back early and the doctors and medical staff did a lot of good work to get that. It makes a big difference in the team. We needed him today and his contribution was superb.
Does it help that he knows the league already?
It’s football intelligence. He’s really clever to understand straight away what we want, what’s required. He’s executed it really well.
That’s your 100th win. Did you expect that to come so quickly?
I don’t know but I’m really happy that we won today. It’s the 100th and hopefully there will be many more. It’s earning those wins and having a team that you feel follows us in everything we try to do and that you feel identified with. That’s for me what’s most important.
How important is it to have Jesus back and how long till he starts?
Big boost. The first step today. We didn’t know if it was the right game today. He said to me a few days ago ‘I’m still missing something.’ Yesterday I looked in his eyes and he said ‘I’m ready’. I said ‘OK!’ So then we had the opportunity to throw him in. It’s that first step to give him the big boost. He looks free, he looks ready and straight away he generated those two big chances. It’s great to have him back.
Would you have been chanting Arsenal are going to win the league?
I don’t know, I would be singing with them to support the team. They did exceptionally and the amount of people we have coming here, their attitude, commitment, the energy they’re putting in, it’s incredible. We’re going to need that. It’s a game changer for us.
Difficult decision who to drop for Jesus?
He has to earn his place like in any other team. We have alternatives who can play in different positions and we have different goals as well to fill in relation to the chemistry of the players and what we ask them to do. It’s a great problem to have, believe me.
Has Jesus injury given you a different layer?
We try to adapt to the quality of players that we have, to put them in their strengths and position where we want as much as possible. Leo has very different qualities to Gabi, Martin complements him really well in terms of the space and understanding with him. It’s great to have that versatility.
Was the first half the best you’ve played in a match this season?
Good question. I don’t know, it’s really tough when you play every three days, travel to Europe and come back and see the energy, quality, understanding, the willingness to go there again and be really dominant. It was really impressive.
Guardiola said you’re still favourites, is it a problem that City are putting pressure on you or an advantage?
I don’t know. We discuss what we discuss internally to be really humble, to work on the next training session and try to be better every day. That’s our focus, there’s still a huge part of the season to be played.
What did you say to Gabriel Jesus at the end?
He was so happy. He put a lot into the last few months and all the staff had spent hours together to try to fulfil all his needs. He wanted more and more and more, he was very willing to get back. To see him there with a smile on his face was a joy, I was really happy for him.
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