Gvardiol produced a Player of the Match performance this past weekend, the left-back scoring two in our 4-0 away win at Fulham as we chase down a fourth successive Premier League title.
Gvardiol has now scored five goals in his last seven appearances but Guardiola is most impressed with the attitude and focus of the likeable Croatian who has grown in belief since joining us at the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign.
“There is an aspect in football and in life and that is confidence, confidence when you do things and it’s game time, a lot of games and talking about the not proper things that you do and the good things,” the boss told the press after the 4-0 Fulham win.
“And you cannot forget it is his first Premier League season and he is just 21 so it is not easy to handle it and he struggled in the beginning a little bit, because he came into a team who had just won the Treble and he was a little bit shy, maybe thinking ‘I don’t want to ruin the structure that they have and what they have done’ - it is a question of time.
“He didn’t come for a few months. He signed for many, many years and he has proved to himself that he can do it and play with us.
“After Wolves, we gave three days off to everyone and on the first day, he went into the training centre to make a recovery, so his focus is football and he wants to be better and better and when this happens, you have something special on your hands.”
Our Gvardiol-inspired 4-0 victory at Craven Cottage kept destiny in our hands because if we win our remaining two games, we will be Premier League champions.
Guardiola stressed that his full focus is on preparing for Tottenham on Tuesday and after that, West Ham next Sunday.
“I had a lot of time to look at Fulham, but now much less to look at Tottenham,” added the boss.
“Now, from Sunday, the focus is Spurs, Spurs, Spurs.
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“We have to win our games - we know we have two games left, win them both, six points, and we will be champions and that is all that is in our heads - only.
“So now, it’s Spurs, Spurs, Spurs and if it still depends on us, then West Ham, West Ham.
“After that, of course, we will know the results and what has happened, but we have to see ourselves.”
