“You can criticise me incredibly” – Guardiola takes aim at critics after consequential West Ham draw

London – Pep Guardiola invited the critics to “come and get me” after Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at West Ham on Saturday, a result that leaves the champions nine points adrift of Arsenal and on the brink of surrendering their Premier League crown.

Speaking from the London Stadium stands, where he served the first match of a two-game touchline ban, Guardiola was equal parts defiant and sardonic. “It’s perfect, I love to be there,” he told TNT Sports. “I will complain more to the referees to get more yellow cards to go in the stands. Next time, it will be three games. I will try it again.”

The Catalan coach, banned after his sixth domestic yellow card in last week’s FA Cup tie with Newcastle, spent the evening in constant contact with assistant Pepijn Lijnders via a fully-charged phone. “We charged the battery before to full,” he joked, before insisting City “were much, much better in all departments. I’m so proud.”

Guardiola’s pride will do little to mask the mathematics: Bernardo Silva’s spectacular opener was cancelled by Konstantinos Mavropanos’s header, and with Arsenal defeating Everton 2-0 through Viktor Gyökeres and Max Dowman, City have now drawn back-to-back league fixtures. Mikel Arteta’s side, having played a game more, can scent a first title in 22 years.

Asked whether his players knew of Arsenal’s result before kick-off, Guardiola shrugged: “I was taking a beer before the game so I didn’t see the players. So I don’t know.”

The 55-year-old saved his sharpest barbs for those questioning his team selection, notably the withdrawal of Antoine Semenyo. “Bad selection. Now you can criticise me incredibly for the selection. Now I deserve it,” he said, arms outstretched.

Attention now turns to the Champions League. City host Real Madrid at the Etihad next week needing to overturn a 3-0 deficit after Federico Valverde’s hat-trick at the Bernabéu. Guardiola knows the league may be gone; Europe offers a final shot at redemption.