Man City star 'getting back to his best' warns Pep Guardiola after Slovan Bratislava rout

Pep Guardiola heaped praise on his Manchester City squad following their emphatic 4-0 Champions League triumph over Slovan Bratislava and was particularly excited about man of the match Phil Foden.

City’s early surge, led by goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Foden, set the tone for a dominant performance in Slovakia, with second-half strikes from Erling Haaland and James McAtee sealing a resounding win on Tuesday.

Foden, who has been regaining his form after a sluggish start to the season due to fitness concerns, was particularly commended by Guardiola for his role in setting up McAtee’s maiden goal for the club.

Guardiola remarked: “He made a fantastic goal. I have the feeling he is getting back to his best step by step and, of course, Phil is really important for us.”

McAtee, an emerging talent from the academy who entered the fray as a substitute, is eager to establish himself at City after spending much of the previous two seasons on loan at Sheffield United.

Guardiola said: “Everyone adores him. You saw the reaction of the players, so everyone loves him. With teams who play so deep he has the quality to find it. He scored and had a few more chances.”

Guardiola also acknowledged that while McAtee may not be a fixture in the starting line-up, his performances ensure he remains a vital asset: “Of course he will not be a regular player but in a lot of games he will help us and when he plays like he did today I can always count on him.”

Rico Lewis’ standout display as the starting right-back, taking the place of usual skipper Kyle Walker, did not go unnoticed either.

Guardiola enthused: “I am beyond satisfied. The way Rico is playing, there are no words. He does everything. He made an assist and is really strong. You can always count on him and he is intelligent. Intelligence is the biggest attribute and he has it.”

Despite Haaland’s apparent disappointment at being substituted shortly after netting his 42nd goal in 41 Champions League matches, Guardiola insisted on the necessity of managing his workload.

The City boss explained: “As a manager I am more secure when Erling is on the pitch but, at 0-3, the game was almost over and we have to take care of him.”

Reflecting on a night that saw City secure their first win of this season’s Champions League following an initial stalemate with Inter Milan, Guardiola was content.

He remarked: “We have to do what we have to do. It’s a joy to be manager of this team. I love it and I love them. We created a lot of chances and we are improving step by step. It was a good night.”

Even in defeat, Slovan relished their first home match in the competition’s main stage.

Their coach Vladimir Weiss Sr shared: “It was beautiful. Unfortunately the result that was not that great but we played in my opinion the best team in the world.

“Never before have I played against such a team with such players and such a manager. It was impossible to defend against them but I was happy to stand five metres away from Pep. I enjoyed it and we will continue enjoying it.”