Pep Guardiola makes Ilkay Gundogan claim after Newcastle display as he hails response from Man City star

And Guardiola was pleased for the Germany international, who played successful a deeper relation arsenic helium continues to experimentation with replacements from Rodri.

“We cognize helium tin bash it,” Guardiola told TNT Sports. “Strong mentality. The crippled successful Newcastle was not truly good, possibly 1 of the worst I person ever seen with him successful the past 8 oregon 9 years but this happens. This is wherefore helium has to play.

"His position, holding midfielder, helium is truthful intelligent, helium played a fantastic crippled today.”

James McAtee scored his archetypal City extremity successful Slovakia and Guardiola is gladsome to person the midfielder backmost aft spending 2 seasons connected indebtedness astatine Sheffield United.

“All of america are truthful blessed for him, he’s adorable and each the guys emotion him,” helium said. “There are a batch of games, Everybody volition marque a contribution. He moved truly good successful tiny spaces, helium marque a fantastic goal, person different chance.

“For him it volition beryllium a bully boost. We privation to marque him consciousness similar ‘you are portion of that group, you are capable to play’. Hopefully contiguous tin assistance him successful that."

Phil Foden scored a extremity and provided an assistance connected his instrumentality to the starting line-up, with Guardiola saying: “Yeah helium inactive is not his best, marque a fantastic goal, walk the shot to the post, nary shoot, helium had much chances. Step by measurement he's coming back."

Overall the Spaniard was blessed with the show successful Bratislava, adding: "We had to bash a job. We did it. This radical of players is fantastic, we play a bully game, a batch of chances truthful the archetypal 3 points of the competition.

"We said we request 1 much goal, 3-0 was astir implicit due to the fact that they support with much courageousness to play but aft 2-0 and chances we had, we were diligent and we attacked truly well. Sometimes we person to onslaught much quicker but yea bully result."

“When I’m reasoning astir that [goal difference] possibly I’m conservative, possibly winning games volition beryllium enough. We person 3 tough, pugnacious games away. Today, archetypal victory, a small spot higher successful the array than we were."