Pep Guardiola has sent a strong message of resilience, vowing that Manchester City will reclaim their dominance after Erling Haaland’s early strike secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Tottenham on Wednesday, February 26, 2025.
City, who have lifted six Premier League titles under Guardiola—including the last four consecutively—find themselves battling for a top-four finish in a season that has fallen below their usual standards. The win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium propelled them into fourth place, bolstering their hopes of securing Champions League qualification.
“This season is not the old City—old City was too good. But we will be back,” Guardiola declared after the match, signaling his intent to rebuild the squad into a title-contending force once again.
Despite Haaland’s clinical finish in the 12th minute, City failed to capitalize on further chances, allowing Spurs to mount heavy pressure in the second half. Guardiola admitted his side has struggled with consistency this season, a far cry from their dominant form in previous campaigns.
“It’s happened many times this season that we’ve wasted big chances. Today, we managed to see the game out, but in many others, we’ve paid the price,” he added.
With Liverpool seemingly set to reclaim the title and City already eliminated from the Champions League following their dramatic play-off loss to Real Madrid, Guardiola’s only remaining hope for silverware this season is the FA Cup.
Spurs, meanwhile, endured yet another frustrating evening under Ange Postecoglou, slipping further away from the European spots. The North London club, now in 13th place, has endured a turbulent campaign, with Postecoglou admitting their first-half display was costly.
“We were too eager, too wasteful with possession, and against City, that’s always dangerous. We dominated in the second half, but missing that crucial goal hurt us,” the Spurs boss conceded.
The result leaves City clinging to their Champions League hopes while Tottenham’s season continues to unravel. As Guardiola eyes a squad overhaul in the summer, his vow to restore City’s dominance will be one to watch.
