Pep Guardiola navigated his Manchester City side to a first win in five Premier League outings against Luton on Sunday.
The treble winners suffered a scare when Elijah Adebayo nodded the Hatters in front, but goals from Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish ensured the Citizens emerged triumphant.
Interestingly, the Santpedor-born tactician ran the risk of going five league games without a win for the first time in his managerial career if Manchester City slipped up.
That surely played on the mind of Pep Guardiola – and he was seen doing something slightly different as Manchester City warmed up…
What Pep Guardiola did on Sunday
Well, the 52-year-old usually spends his side’s warmup watching from the dugout and speaking to his staff about final details ahead of kick-off.
On Sunday – however – Guardiola could be seen working with Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic and Nathan Ake during the warmup at Kenilworth Road, according to the Manchester Evening News.
The Spaniard’s decision to be more hands-on ahead of the clash against Luton suggested that he was feeling some pressure after Manchester City’s run of four Premier League games without a win.
Guardiola continued to make his voice heard after the 90 minutes had ended, visibly expressing some frustration at Ruben Dias after Luton’s late flurry of corners, while also seemingly complaining to Jack Grealish about his hesitation in front of goal.
Huge month for Manchester City
Supporters will surely be delighted to see Manchester City make a return to winning ways, as there is a lot in store for the Citizens this month.
The treble winners have the chance to make club history in Saudi Arabia next week at the FIFA Club World Cup – a competition Manchester City have never won.
It is a prestigious tournament in which the champions of Europe clash with champions of other continents, and while a fourth successive Premier League title would be nice, the FIFA Club World Cup represents a chance for Guardiola to win something he never has at the Etihad Stadium.
Therefore, it was vital for Manchester City to get back to winning ways against Luton.
