Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has launched a pointed criticism at Sky Sports, accusing the broadcaster of misrepresenting his words during a tense press conference on Wednesday.
Transfer Question Sparks Tetchy Exchange
The awkward moment occurred as Guardiola faced the media ahead of his side's Premier League fixture against Sunderland on New Year's Day. The City boss, who is famously guarded on transfer speculation, was asked about the club's reported move for Bournemouth striker Antoine Semenyo.
City have held positive talks and are prepared to meet Semenyo's £65 million release clause once the January window opens. Guardiola, however, was in no mood to discuss the deal and directed his frustration at the Sky reporter.
"You are from Sky, right? OK, good," Guardiola responded. "I have to be careful what I say. After that, it is completely the opposite (of) what you write and put on the screen."
Injury Concerns Ahead of Tough Schedule
Guardiola later batted away a question about the future of Oscar Bobb, with reports linking the youngster with a potential £30 million switch to Borussia Dortmund. "I don’t have any news about anything right now," he stated. "The winter transfer window is completely closed right now. So, Sunderland…"
The focus then turned to the immediate challenge of the trip to the Stadium of Light. City travel with a five-point lead over Arsenal, who beat Aston Villa 4-1 on Tuesday. Guardiola confirmed a mixed bag of team news.
Rodri and Jeremy Doku have returned to the fold from injury, though the manager suggested Rodri may only be fit for limited minutes. The squad is stretched, however, with Oscar Bobb, John Stones, and Mateo Kovacic injured, while Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush are at the Africa Cup of Nations.
"We are not in our best right now for this tight schedule," Guardiola admitted, highlighting a demanding run of games. "We will arrive back (from Sunderland) at 2am or 3am and two days later we have Chelsea and then after that we have Brighton – really tough opponents. We don’t have many players to rotate."
Guardiola Warns of Sunderland Threat
Despite City's 3-0 win over the Black Cats at the Etihad on December 6, Guardiola is anticipating a stern test. He pointed to Sunderland's impressive home form, which includes a victory over Newcastle and draws against Arsenal and Aston Villa.
"They are so tough. The crowd is unbelievable," he said. "They have had really good results. It will be completely different there but at the same time we are ready."
