Guardiola reveals half-time team talk: ‘Lads, it’s Tottenham’

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed what he said to his players at half-time with his side 2-0 down against Tottenham.

Guardiola’s team were booed off the pitch by both of City’s fans at the Etihad Stadium after Antonio Conte’s side capitalised on two defensive errors to lead at the break.

Discussing the team talk with Paddy Power News, the 52-year-old told us:

‘Did I give them the hair dryer? No. Did I give them a big speech like in Any Given Sunday? No.

What I said was simple. I say, ‘Lads, it’s Tottenham’.

‘As soon as I say, ‘Lads, it’s Tottenham’, I see the penny dropping’.

‘Everyone in the changing room started laughing and face-palming because they realised it was only Tottenham’.

When asked if he thought the words would have such a profound effect on his squad, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss admitted:

‘I thought we had a chance because they are Spursy. No?’

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‘But I did not realise they were as Spursy as this. In fact, that was the Spursiest Spurs performance I’ve seen from them in a long time’. 

Meanwhile, counterpart Antonio Conte said he was delighted with his side as they let a two-goal lead slip to keep the title race alive. 

‘I like, how you say, how we got Arsenal fan’s hopes up in the first-half, only to crush their spirit in the second’, chuckled the Italian.

‘Their fans were probably cheering when we scored our goals.’

‘I hope, how you say, they can’t look at themselves in the mirror this morning’. 

When asked if he was concerned about the form of error-prone goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, the 53-year-old said:

‘I think the Tottenham fan kicked the wrong goalkeeper last weekend’.

*Paddy Power’s breaking news coverage is 110% nonsense

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