Pep Guardiola has criticised Everton’s Yerry Mina and revealed what he said to the defender after Manchester City beat Everton.
On Sunday City restored their four-point lead at the top of the Premier League table with an impressive 3-0 win against Everton at Goodison Park.
Ilkay Gundogan scored two superb goals either side of half-time, the first an audacious no-look flick and the second a sumptuous free-kick.
In between those strikes, the German midfielder set up Erling Haaland to score his 52nd goal in all competitions this season, edging him closer to Dixie Dean’s record.
With Everton coming into the match off the back of an extraordinary 5-1 win against Brighton – and City a draining Champions League encounter with Real Madrid – many expected City would have a difficult afternoon against the relegation strugglers.
The scoreline didn’t reflect that theory, but the hosts refused to lay down and gave as good as they got when it came to physical battles and duels.
Pep wasn’t impressed
One Everton player who did his best to disrupt City was Yerry Mina, although Pep Guardiola was not happy with the defender’s antics.
In the first half the Colombian appeared to scratch Aymeric Laporte’s abdomen while grappling at a corner, the City man showing the damage to the referee.
Mina further angered Laporte when he hit the turf when pushed in retaliation.
Throughout the afternoon Mina and Erling Haaland were in each other’s ears, trading verbal blows in between physical ones.
At full-time, Jack Grealish had to be dragged away by Haaland when he confronted the Everton man over his antics.
Pep Guardiola was caught on camera berating the defender on the pitch, before the manager went over to the travelling City fans.
Speaking to the media after the match, Guardiola revealed what he said.
“I admire [Conor] Coady. With Mina, it’s not necessary what he does, it’s not necessary,” Guadiola said, as reported by The Athletic’s Sam Lee.
When asked if he was referring to Mina’s battles with Haaland, Pep replied: “With everyone, it’s not necessary what he does every single game. I told him.”
City’s next league fixture is at home against Chelsea, before they end the campaign with trips to Brighton and Brentford.
Two wins from those final three games will secure a third consecutive Premier League title.
