In a pre-season clash, Pep Guardiola acknowledged that his Manchester City team showed improvement despite a 3-2 loss to AC Milan in New York. This defeat followed another loss to Celtic just days prior.
Erling Haaland scored to put City in the lead after an assist from Oscar Bobb, but Milan fought back with goals from Lorenzo Colombo and Marco Nasti, securing the win.
Guardiola commented after the match, stating, “We were better than the first game. It was a step forward – no injuries, minutes in our legs, another test – and now we fly to another game in a few days.”
Aston Villa’s Defeat
Meanwhile, Aston Villa suffered a 4-1 defeat against Columbus Crew in the US. Emiliano Buendia made a successful comeback after being out of action due to a knee injury since last August.
Manager Unai Emery expressed his delight at Buendia’s return, emphasizing the importance of gradually maximizing his potential. New signings Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen also made their debut, although they entered the game with Villa already trailing 4-1.
Emery added, “The result is not the most important for us now. We are focused on building a team and understanding our players better. Despite the loss, some players performed well.”
West Ham’s Loss
In Florida, Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham suffered a 3-1 defeat to Wolves. Matheus Cunha scored for Wolves before Mohammed Kudus equalized, but Rodrigo Gomes sealed the win with a brace.
Cunha picked up a knee injury during the game, prompting concerns from manager Gary O’Neil. Lopetegui acknowledged the need for improvement during the remaining pre-season matches, stating, “We have a lot of work ahead of us.”