Guardiola holds his hands up
City coach takes blame for missed penalty
Liverpool: Pep Guardiola has apologised to Gabriel Jesus after refusing the Manchester City striker’s request to take the late penalty at Liverpool that Riyad Mahrez blazed over the bar.
Mahrez missed a glorious chance to give the Premier League champions a first win at Anfield in 15 years plus a two-point lead over Liverpool and Chelsea at the top of the table with an 86th-minute penalty. It was the fifth time in eight attempts that the Algeria international had failed from the spot but despite his poor record and Jesus’s appeals to take the penalty, Guardiola insisted that the summer signing assume spot-kick duties with the regular taker, Sergio Aguero, substituted.
The City manager said: “During the training sessions every day I see Mahrez taking the penalties and it gave me a lot of confidence. It will be good experience for him, next time it will go in. Jesus wanted to [take it]. I apologise. It was my decision.” (Guardian News & Media Ltd)