Pep Guardiola has responded to criticism of his handling of Jack Grealish after Manchester City's draw with Arsenal by humorously stating, 'I do it for the cameras.' Following the 0-0 draw on Sunday, Guardiola was seen animatedly giving instructions to Grealish on the pitch after the final whistle.
The City manager has faced backlash for his practice of addressing players on the field post-game rather than in the dressing room. When asked about his interaction with Grealish, Guardiola nonchalantly dismissed the criticism, jokingly attributing his actions to his ego and desire for camera attention.
Guardiola quipped, 'I'm the famous person of the team and I need the cameras to go to sleep with incredible satisfaction. I always try to criticise the players there [on the pitch] and let them know how bad they are. Especially when Erling [Haaland] scores three goals, the cameras have to be on me.'
Manchester City is set to face Aston Villa, Grealish's former club, at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. The team will be without Kyle Walker, Éderson, and Nathan Aké, but John Stones, who made a surprise appearance on the bench against Arsenal, could make a return.
Guardiola mentioned, 'John may be [fit] but the other two have no chance. [Stones] has to feel fully fit but the injury was less severe than we expected initially. Maybe he will be ready for the upcoming games.'
Villa had previously defeated City 1-0 at Villa Park in December, a match Guardiola labeled as his team's worst performance of the season. Reflecting on the loss, Guardiola admitted, 'We deserved to lose the game. Aston Villa is vying for a Champions League spot, and every team is playing with a purpose. Managing the final games of the season is always challenging for all of us.'
