"After the disappointing end to August, September had the potential to turn into a crisis for Manchester City and manager Pep Guardiola. City had concerns after suffering successive Premier League defeats against Tottenham and Brighton before the international break, but have responded in style with four victories in five games. But just as champions and Premier League leaders Liverpool threatened to run away with the title, they suffered a last-gasp loss at Crystal Palace, which allowed City to claw back the deficit to five points."
"Guardiola's reaction at the end, with a huge smile on his face, showed signs of a man who was not only proud of the team's victory but also sensed City are edging back towards their best. "We are creating a good team spirit with the backroom staff and players," said Guardiola. "We finished with late goals. It was tough. In the second half, we found the goals and it was miles better in the last 20 minutes.""
Manchester City recovered from a poor end to August by winning four of five matches, reducing a five-point gap to leaders Liverpool after their surprise defeat. The run included a 5-1 victory over Burnley marked by two Maxime Esteve own goals and late Erling Haaland strikes. Guardiola highlighted growing team spirit and credited late goals and improved second-half play. The manager fields a younger side with experienced players rotated to the bench while navigating a congested schedule of seven games in 22 days across three competitions.
Read at www.bbc.com
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