"Maybe I over-exaggerated a little bit. He's not" - Guardiola changes opinion after claiming one of his players were among best in the world
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola brutally insisted summer signing Matheus Nunes is not one of the best players in the world, despite saying so in February 2022.
Nunes made a name for himself as a central midfielder for Sporting CP for three seasons between 2019 and 2022. In his last season for the club, Sporting faced Manchester City in a UEFA Champions League match.
Despite the Cityzens cruising to a routing 5-0 win, Guardiola was full of praise for the 25-year-old as he said (via Daily Express):
"I would say that Matheus Nunes is one of the best players in the world today."
The Portugal international joined Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer where he impressed in the Premier League, making 38 appearances. His performance earned him a £53 million move to the Etihad Stadium this summer on Deadline Day, where he signed a five-year deal.
Nunes made his first start for the club against Red Star Belgrade last week in the UEFA Champions League, which City won 4-0. He retained his place in the starting XI against Nottingham Forest where he assisted Erling Haaland as they won 2-0.
Following the game, Guardiola made a savage claim when asked about his old comments on Nunes. He said:
"Maybe I over-exaggerated a little bit. He's not. He's a really good player but sometimes... maybe I said this comment after 5-0. But he's an exceptional player. Exceptional, exceptional player."
Nunes is expected to feature for Manchester City in their next fixture against Newcastle United in the third round of the Carabao Cup on September 27.
"I’m not going to waste one per cent of energy for Carabao Cup" - Pep Guardiola conveys his disdain for Carabao Cup ahead of Newcastle clash
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola recently conveyed his disdain for the Carabao Cup, claiming he wouldn't be playing his regulars in the competition.
The Cityzens have won the Carabao Cup four times in seven seasons under Guardiola. However, it appears the Spaniard is willing to sacrifice his chances of a fifth in order to rest several key players.
The 52-year-old said (via Daily Mirror):
“Some players who’ve had a lot of minutes are not going to play vs Newcastle. The Carabao Cup is great for all the guys who don’t play regularly. They can play some minutes and that’s perfect."
He added:
“But for the other players, I’m not going to waste one per cent of energy for Carabao Cup. The likes of Kyle, Ruben playing 90 minutes for us, 90 minutes for the national teams, they are exhausted already."
Guardiola's comments may come as a surprise to some fans. However, it is important to note that City have lost key stars like Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, and Bernardo Silva to injury so rotation this week is a must.