Many players left England after due to their inability to cope with the intensity of the English top-flight league. Among these players was former Arsenal winger, Nicolas Pepe. While many described him as Premier League flop, It seems Manchester City boss has a different opinion.
Pep Guardiola praises Nicolas Pepe after City’s 2-0 win over Villarreal in Wednesday night’s Champions League clash, saying there was a reason Arsenal once spent heavily to bring the Ivorian to the Premier League.
Manchester City continued their unbeaten start in Europe with another assured display at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
Erling Haaland once again proved decisive, netting his 15th goal of the season to give City an early lead after just 17 minutes. The Norwegian striker finished with trademark precision, smashing home a low cross from Rico Lewis to open the scoring.
City’s control of the game deepened as Bernardo Silva doubled the advantage just before the break. Lewis, who had already provided the assist for the opener, was instrumental again — this time floating a delicate cross into the box that Bernardo calmly guided into the net.
For Villarreal, moments of promise were rare, though their brightest spark came from former Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe. The Ivorian winger, who joined Villarreal after a turbulent spell in north London, looked lively in attack and constantly tested City’s defensive structure.
His best chance arrived midway through the second half when he fired over the bar from close range after being perfectly positioned to score.
However, Pep Guardiola praises Nicolas Pepe, reminding reporters that Arsenal’s then-record transfer fee for the player was no coincidence.
“Ah, he’s really good,” Guardiola said. “It was a long time ago when he was playing at Arsenal and I’m happy that he’s playing here [at Villarreal]. I’m pretty sure when Arsenal paid the amount of money they paid it’s because he’s a really good player, otherwise that wouldn’t have happened.
He’s a dangerous player in the final third, one-vs-one. Jeremy [Doku] and Bernardo defended against him really well.”
Though Pepe’s impact did not translate into goals, his agility and close control caused several issues for City’s back line.
Villarreal fans will take comfort in the fact that the Ivorian has rediscovered his confidence in Spain, particularly after being named La Liga’s Player of the Month for August. His return to form has also coincided with Villarreal’s strong start in the domestic league, where they currently sit third.
At the other end, Haaland continued to underline his importance to Guardiola’s side, coming close to adding to his tally when Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior twice denied him in the closing minutes.
The Spanish side almost pulled one back late in the match when Nigerian forward Tani Oluwaseyi’s header struck the post in stoppage time, but City’s clean sheet remained intact.
The result leaves the Sky Blues in control of their group, having already secured a draw against Monaco and a win over Napoli earlier in the campaign. Guardiola’s men now turn their attention to Borussia Dortmund, who they host in a fortnight as they look to maintain momentum in their title defence.
Guardiola expressed satisfaction with his team’s overall performance but noted that Villarreal grew stronger in the second half.
“We played well, very well, especially in the first half,” he said. “We dominated in ball control and kept the opponent under pressure. In the 20 minutes of the second half, Villarreal played more actively, but overall, the situation is good. We scored at the right time so the result is satisfactory. I’m in a good mood, I’m satisfied with everything.”
Rico Lewis earns Guardiola’s admiration once again
While Haaland and Bernardo Silva delivered the goals, Rico Lewis earned special mention from Guardiola after another accomplished display on the right flank. The young Englishman, who provided both assists on the night, was central to City’s dominance in possession and tactical flexibility.
Guardiola has long been vocal about his admiration for the versatile defender, and his comments after the match reinforced that sentiment.
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“I adore that player,” the City boss said. “He is so intelligent in small spaces. Maybe man-marking and more duels he struggles a little bit more, but when teams like Villarreal do zonal marking exceptionally, you need a top player like Rico who moves well in that position.
Rico is a top class player when you have to play in that way. We need fresh legs. We play Saturday, Tuesday and travel.”
Lewis’ composure and decision-making stood out throughout the contest. His understanding of positioning, coupled with his ability to link play seamlessly with City’s midfielders, allowed the Premier League champions to dictate the tempo from start to finish.
