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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola praised midfielder Mateo Kovacic after the 2-0 win against Chelsea on Sunday. Kovacic bagged City's second goal against his former club in the 84th minute. Erling Haaland scored the opener in the 18th minute.
After scoring at Stamford Bridge, Kovacic refused to celebrate in respect to his former club. Guardiola hailed the ex-Real Madrid star's character, saying (via Sam Lee on X):
"His mum and dad made him an incredible human being, he is a top-class person, incredibly beloved."
Manchester City, the defending Premier League champions, have started their title defense with a win. Guardiola's side has won the league in the last four seasons. They showed the gulf in quality with a Chelsea side that has yet to find its bearings despite spending havoc in the transfer market.
Kovacic started the game at Stamford Bridge and had an impressive outing. Apart from scoring, he completed 63 of his 66 attempted passes with a spectacular 95% accuracy. Kovacic also put in the defensive miles, winning right ground duels, making two clearances and six tackles.
After a loose passage of play from Chelsea, Kovacic got the ball in the middle of the park. The Croat drove forward with intent before unleashing an effort from outside the penalty area. While the Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez managed to get a hand on it, he was unable to prevent the ball from ending up at the back of the net.
Pep Guardiola makes claim about Manchester City's motivation to win PL title
Manchester City are off and running with a stellar win against Chelsea. Pep Guardiola's side have been backed by many to win five league titles in a row.
The Spanish coach, however, has claimed that his team is not motivated to win the league yet. He rather claimed that the winning mentality would peak at the business end of the campaign. Addressing the media before the Chelsea game, he said (via CentreGoals on X):
"The motivation to win another Premier League title is not there. For me, it's not there. It will be in the last month."
Manchester City have been serial winners in the last few years. The performance against Chelsea showed that they are a fine-tuned machine even at this stage of the campaign.
