Guardiola insists Leicester were better than Man City in champions’ 2-0 win | All Football

Pep Guardiola celebrated his 500th game in charge of Manchester City with a victory he believes will help rebuild his champions’ shattered confidence in the Premier League.

Goals in either half from Savinho and Erling Haaland – who ended a four-match goal drought – gave City just their second win in 10 league games against a more deserving Leicester side.

City still trail leaders Liverpool and their hopes of a fifth title in a row appear remote – although Guardiola hopes better times are on the horizon.

‘We need to win to clear our minds our souls and see ‘OK, we can win games,’ he said. ‘I never thought it would be so difficult and maybe it’s a good thing.

‘Relief is the right word to use, more than happiness. We have to improve a lot and the result will improve us. We will come back at our best, that’s for sure, and the result helps us a lot.

We all needed it. Hopefully this will improve our mood. Leicester were much better for much of the game and we don’t have enough energy to sustain 90 minutes but in the new year hopefully it will help us bounce back a bit.

“I always thought a run like this could happen because football is not predictable, but even though I know I could never have expected there would be so many games we wouldn’t be able to win.

‘It’s been an incredible learning experience and this win is just one game. We’ll see what happens in January.’

Haaland’s goal was only his second in the league since November 9 as Guardiola revealed that his star forward had recently become a father for the first time.

Haaland admitted: ‘This was not the ideal performance but the result is the most important thing to clear our minds. It’s always a relief when you score. Now we can rest a little.’

Despite the recent troubles, Guardiola’s eight and a half years in Manchester have been extremely successful, with the 2023 Treble being the crowning glory. The 53-year-old also signed a new two-year contract with the club in November.

‘I know the last 13 or 14 games haven’t been good but we have to be so proud and happy,’ he added. ‘We have done many things that will be remembered forever. Maybe this period will make us realize how nice it was and hopefully we can come back.’

After starting with a win and a draw, Leicester have lost their last four games and remain in the bottom three although this display left boss Ruud van Nistelrooy feeling hopeful.

The Dutchman said: ‘Because of the performance, it hurts a bit that we didn’t take anything from the game. It’s a shame but it’s a foundation to build on.’