Manchester City drew 2-2 with Monaco, with Haaland scoring both goals
A late VAR-awarded penalty for Monaco sparked controversy, denying City a potential win and frustrating Pep Guardiola
Guardiola focused on City’s overall performance, highlighting gradual improvement
Champions League 2025-26: Guardiola Frustrated By VAR But Praises Man City’s Performance In Monaco Draw
UCL 2025: Manchester City drew 2-2 with Monaco as Haaland scored twice. Pep Guardiola praised City’s step-by-step improvement despite a controversial late VAR-awarded penalty that denied a win
Summary
Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City are improving as he sought to focus on their performance rather than late VAR drama in a 2-2 draw at Monaco.
Eric Dier stole a point for the Ligue 1 side with a last-gasp penalty that was awarded by referee Jesus Gil Manzano only following a VAR review.
After consulting the pitchside monitor, the Spanish official deemed Nico Gonzalez's boot had made contact with Dier's head and awarded Monaco a spot-kick that meant Erling Haaland's two goals would be only enough for a point.
There were heated exchanges around the award of the penalty, with both benches involved, but Guardiola chose to keep his own counsel on the matter afterwards.
"[I have] nothing to say to Spanish referees," the City boss said. "We played a really good game.
"We always try to create more chances and concede few, and that's what happened. They have fast players with their physicality, but we conceded few and we created a lot of chances, considering it is the Champions League, and I'm really pleased for that.
"Of course, we were close, but at the end we could not defend the free-kick well, and we conceded the penalty.
"In football, you have to win with the result. If you analyse the game there were many things that were good."
City have endured a topsy-turvy start to the season, already suffering potentially damaging defeats to Tottenham and Brighton and Hove Albion and conceding a late equaliser to Arsenal but beating rivals Manchester United in the derby.
"Step by step, we will be better," Guardiola said. "But we had many chances, and Phil [Foden] in the first half and many players played really good. We conceded almost nothing.
"When it's close, you have to defend and we take the point."
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