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‘He asked why I didn’t play the whole game like the last 15 minutes’: James Maddison opens his chat with Pep Guardiola after Manchester City’s win over Leicester… but the Spaniard admits it’s his team’s responsibility to break down defending opponents
- Manchester City took a 1-0 win at Leicester on Saturday afternoon
- James Maddison was spotted talking to Pep Guardiola as they left the pitch
- The Foxes star revealed that Guardiola asked why he only finished the match strong?
- But he told the City boss it was difficult against ‘a top manager with a top team’
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Pep Guardiola brutally questioned James Maddison about Leicester’s tactics in Manchester City’s 1-0 win over The King Power on Saturday, but said afterwards that it was his team’s responsibility to take down defending opponents.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers switched to a back-five to try and limit the champions and only pushed towards the end when they were behind.
Maddison, Foxes’ creative playmaker, was approached by Guardiola afterwards, and the midfielder revealed: “He asked why I didn’t play the whole game like the last 15 minutes.
Pep Guardiola and James Maddison were chatting after Man City’s win over Leicester
“He realizes it’s not that simple. He is a top manager with a top team, so it will always be difficult.”
Guardiola clarified his comments, saying he believed teams had the right to line up against Manchester City as they wished.
“I have a lot of respect for Brendan. We text each other and have a good relationship,” Guardiola said. “I never judge the way teams decide to play. It is our duty to break them down – we have to adapt.
“Leicester can play with four in the back or like they did today with five in the back and no spaces.
Kevin de Bruyne’s great long-distance free kick gave City the victory on Saturday afternoon
As both teams left the field, Guardiola was noticed deep in conversation with Maddison
The Leicester star revealed in his post-match interview that he asked him why he didn’t play the whole match as strong as he finished it
“We talked about having to be patient with very little space. There was nowhere to go. And we know they’ve done this to us before and beat us in the transition. In the end Kevin wins by a fixed piece.
“Besides that Leicester defended incredibly well and the save Ederson made from Tielemans was very important because we know Tielemans has this incredible shooting talent.”
Rodgers said he would be cautious again against Manchester City and did not regret waiting well into the second half to chase a goal.
“It was about mastering the game, not taking the handbrake off,” he insisted. “They are the best team in the world. You give them space and they punish you.
“You’ve seen them do that with better teams than us. You have to use logic to limit then and when it came time to change, we did.’
But Guardiola clarified his comments and said it is not his business how other teams set it up