Pep Guardiola conceded that Joao Cancelo deserved to be sent off in Manchester City's win over Fulham and told him to learn from his mistake after he gave away a crucial penalty in the first half.
And Guardiola also admitted that Erling Haaland's penalty in the 95th minute to win a vital three points was far from the striker's best - but said the power on the spot-kick ensured it squeezed under Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
City played 65 minutes with 10 men after Cancelo's last man shoulder-barge on Harry Wilson in the area, earning the full-back a red card and giving City an uphill task. They only earned the victory when Haaland converted his penalty in the 95th minute, with Guardiola praising a number of unsung heroes for their work before the winning goal.
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"It's the last man, soft contact or not soft contact, there cannot be contact," the manager reflected. "It's a deserved red card. I said many times to players, when you have 85 minutes and are out of the 18-yard box, make a foul. You have 65 minutes left, score a goal, 1-1, okay we have time with 11 v 11. Instead, it's penalty, 1-1 and 65 minutes with 10 men. Hopefully we can learn.
"Not Joao, Sergio [Gomez] in Copenhagen [too]. It happens, it can happen because we lose a duel with the striker, good move with the winger. Okay, rely on Eddy, Eddy can save it.
"In knockout games, today we are out. Hopefully winning we can learn. That's my target all the season. Why Nathan [Ake] is exceptional? He doesn't make mistakes. Manu [Akanji], he doesn't make mistakes. Ruben [Dias], he doesn't make mistakes. Defenders in the big games is not a build-up, if they want to score goals, fight for that. Do it well, but we cannot gift it. Most of the time we gift them.
"Today was a risk, playing against Fulham for 65 minutes 10 against 11, normally you cannot win. We won because my players were beyond exceptional in all departments. We have to improve, otherwise we are out.
"Bernardo, Gundogan, Manu, all the people in the middle all are so intuitive. If we are able to take it, drop a little bit and wait, and when you feel it, go. This can happen because we have long possessions, we cannot attack so quick.
"You see John [Stones], he's not a full-back but how he played he was amazing. Bernardo, Rodri, everyone. So exciting, the emotion as a manager, after seven years here you have doubts, the people follow you are tired, the people are annoying all of us, many thousand meetings and training sessions and meetings and travels. You see today still they are there and alive and they make us so proud."
Regarding Haaland's penalty, Guardiola also had a message for Riyad Mahrez, who has missed his last two spot-kicks - saying Haaland's winning penalty was far from his best.
"He had time, take the ball, the penalty was long, thoughts a lot," Guardiola said.
"It was two to three weeks without training the rhythm, the tempo. The penalty was not the best penalty I've seen in my life but I say he hit it strong. Always I say about Riyad. If you do soft to one side it's 50/50, if it's strong it's 75/25. Leno, I know him from Germany, an incredible saver of penalties, a really good one. Finish good, today the destiny at the end looks like everything was against us. we could do it."
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