Pep Guardiola offers fresh take on Kyle Walker and Neal Maupay's bitter row
Pep Guardiola says he understands why players get wound up by opponents – because the Manchester City boss is the same himself.
City defender Kyle Walker and Brentford forward Neil Maupay come face to face again on Tuesday, a fortnight after clashing when the champions won 3-1 at the Gtech Stadium. Walker claimed Maupay made a disparaging remark about his children after the pair became embroiled in a heated exchange, an accusation denied by the Frenchman.
Guardiola said he did not think there will be any lingering issue between the pair when they are reunited at the Etihad Stadium, but said empathises with players who lose their cool. But Guardiola – who is on five yellow cards this season, one short of a two-match touchline ban - claimed he once amassed a record number of cautions as a Barcelona player.
Asked how he dealt with opponents trying to wind him up during his playing days, Guardiola said: “It depended on my mood.
“Listen, in my period in Barcelona, I am in history for having the record of the most yellow cards conceded. All the time it was for 'talk, talk, talk'. So it depends. Sometimes I controlled myself, sometimes I behaved crazy. People say ‘Ah, he cannot control [himself as a manager]’.
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“As a football player, I was the same. I don’t want it, but sometimes there are emotions and it happens. You know that. But this [incident between Walker and Maupay] is forgotten. It happened, I think they talked and that’s all.”
Asked if he expects an overspill between Walker and Maupay, Guardiola said: “I don't think so. Maupay is a good football player. Sometimes it happens, but I'm pretty sure the intention is good.”
Kyle Walker accused Neil Maupay of mentioning his children when the pair clashed a fortnight ago (Getty Images)City lost ground in the title race with Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea, but Guardiola defended his players, claiming they are held to a higher standard because of their recent success.
“I know the standards that we have created, for what we have done in the past,” said Guardiola. "I understand the doubts of the people, but I'm more than satisfied. In the end, I give credit to Chelsea, not just in some actions we were not good at, but when I analyse the game, in general, we were more than decent.
"I know our standards and we demand them from what we have done in the past. It is not easy to sustain it for a long time. We won 11 games and people said they're not going to lose another game.
“I have this experience from my previous clubs, especially Barcelona. It's an honour, so go for it, but we have to continue doing what we're trying to do.
“I'm the first to demand that my team do it over 95 minutes, knowing that it's impossible. But how we react and how we were in the game all the time - we were there. We created a lot against Chelsea that lately few teams have created. That's my view.
“It doesn't mean the next game will be easier, because the expectations we have had against Brentford in the past have always been so difficult and complicated. But we have opportunity to climb to second position, to go one point in front of Arsenal and be closer to Liverpool, and there are still a lot of games to play.
“The reality is, since we lost against Aston Villa, we didn't lose one game and the games that we drew, we were better.”
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