Premier League: match against Luton “was a real good test” admits Guardiola

The trip to Luton “was a real good test” for Manchester City, reacted coach Pep Guardiola, “really proud” of the reaction of his team, victorious 2-1 after being led on Sunday at the promoted side of the north of London.

“It's a good performance after what happened with the last results,” the Spanish coach commented on the BBC, victorious again after a series of three draws and one defeat. The Citizens returned to the locker room at the break trailing after Elijah Adebayo's opener (45th 2), but they turned the game around in the second half thanks to Bernardo Silva (62nd) and Jack Grealish (65th).

“We conceded the goal in the last minute of the first period. It was a really good test and the players reacted as they were supposed to,” he said. Manchester City played their first league match of the season on Sunday without Erling Haaland, who was out due to a foot injury. Guardiola said he hoped to return for the Club World Cup, of which the English play the semi-final on December 19.

Luton coach Rob Edwards, for his part, regretted a “very frustrating” defeat on Sunday, five days after giving in in the final moments against Arsenal (4-3). “We played two top teams this week and we manhandled them. Today we scored the first goal and we reached the hour mark with relative mastery,” he commented to Sky Sports.

The “Hatters” (hatters) have made life difficult for their visitors for a month at Kenilworth Road: after the short setback against Tottenham (1-0), the promoted team was joined in added time by Liverpool (1- 1), dominated Crystal Palace (2-1), led then gave in in the 90th 7 against Arsenal. “Maybe we are changing the conversation a bit about Luton Town,” said Edwards. “But we need to take points.” His team is eighteenth after sixteen days, with four points less than Everton, currently first non-relegation place.