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Guardiola explains Man City star’s absence in win over Crystal Palace
TL;DR
Pep Guardiola clarified that Nico Gonzalez was absent from Manchester City's match against Crystal Palace due to a selection decision, not an injury. City won the match 3-0, closing the gap to league leaders Arsenal.
Key points
- Nico Gonzalez's absence was a selection decision.
- Manchester City won 3-0 against Crystal Palace.
- City is now two points behind league leaders Arsenal.
Mentioned in this story
Pep Guardiola
Manchester CityCrystal PalaceNico GonzalezArsenal
Guardiola explains Man City star’s absence in win over Crystal Palace
Pep Guardiola confirmed that Nico Gonzalez’s absence from the Manchester City squad against Crystal Palace was not due to an injury.
The midfielder was a surprise absentee from the matchday squad as goals from Antoine Semenyo, Omar Marmoush and Savinho moved City back to within two points of league leaders Arsenal with a 3-0 win.
But Guardiola confirmed Gonzalez’s absence was just a selection decision ahead of a busy run of games.
“Yeah he’s fine but I had to leave a lot of players out because we are, all the squad, ready,” Guardiola explained.
“Nico brought us to the final of the FA Cup with a fantastic goal and all the season played in that position.
“But the last game I saw Bernardo (Silva), how he played there, and that’s why I decide to do it today again.”
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Rodri also missed out once again through injury and asked if he could be back for the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday, Guardiola said: “I don’t know, we’ll see in the next days.”
Q&A
Why was Nico Gonzalez absent from the Manchester City match against Crystal Palace?
Nico Gonzalez was absent due to a selection decision made by Pep Guardiola, not because of an injury.
What was the outcome of the Manchester City vs Crystal Palace match?
Manchester City won the match 3-0 against Crystal Palace.
How does Manchester City's win affect their position in the league?
The victory moved Manchester City back to within two points of league leaders Arsenal.
