Pep Guardiola finally smiled yesterday, more of reliefe than happiness as he told to the press, after Manchester City beat Leicester City away, 0-2, with goals by Savinho and Erling Haaland. Who knows if it will be the turning point of the sporting crisis, unprecedented in Guardiola's succesful managerial career, but it allowed them to welcome the new year with joy and pride.
After only two victories in 14 games, fans from most clubs would ask for the manager's head. For instance, we have seen that just today, in Milan. But Guardiola is different: a few weeks ago, during the peak of the crisis, the club extended his contract for at least two more years as a sign of confidence. The fans never turned their backs on Guardiola, the manager that turned City into the most fearsome club in the world, winning six Premier League titles.
And yesterday, when the team finally won, the crowd responded with a chant. "We've got Guardiola". It is a chant that was first sung back in 2016, when the catalan first signed for the team, and is a mix from the sixties hit "Glad All Over" by The Dave Clark Five. "Say you need me, always be mine, cause we've got guardiola, we've got Guardiola".
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In a video captured by TV cameras, Erling Haaland approached Pep and told him to go with the City fans to celebrate.
In January, Manchester City will try to strengthen its squad with new signings. Their first game of the year will be against West Ham on Saturday, January 4, but the big day will be January 22, a fight for survival in Chamìons League against Paris Saint-Germain.