City just about did enough but were on the ropes for much of the second half as Bournemouth fought for their top flight status,
“It was a really difficult game, they played really well,” said Pep.
“We could not control it. Their high pressing was good. It was a difficult game.
“They played with a need to stay in the Premier League.
“We played well in some moments. The same is going to happen against Watford. It will be so tight. It is normal.”
After another sublime David Silva display, the boss added: “He is in incredible form since we came back from the lockdown.
“He had another exceptional game and scored again. Twice in a row, a fantastic goal.”
But asked whether he would consider trying to persuade his skipper to say, Pep said: “He decided to leave. He has said many times. He wants to finish after 10 seasons, hopefully he can come back for a final game for him and he can find a place for the last season of his career.”
Guardiola also praised the performance of Gabriel Jesus, who scored a fine goal and was a threat all evening.
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He said: “Even in the first four or five games when he didn’t score, I said many times, the number of things he can do for us is fantastic.
“He has scored two goals in the last three games and he can play in different positions. He is really good.
“Now we have time to recover. Some of the players who played today will play at Wembley. I have rotated all the time for this period.”
