Guardiola responded after the former Manchester United striker questioned Manchester City’s celebrations following their important victory over Arsenal. The City manager defended his players’ right to enjoy the moment after such a high-stakes clash at the Etihad Stadium—a win that boosted their chances of securing the Premier League title.
Rooney had claimed that the reaction of City’s players and fans after the 2–1 win was “a bit over the top,” while former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy suggested the scenes “seemed a little excessive,” especially after Gianluigi Donnarumma jumped into the stands to celebrate with the home supporters.
Guardiola dismissed those remarks, insisting his team fully understood the significance of the result in the context of the Premier League title race.
“When they celebrated, people can say whatever they want—whatever nonsense they like—they celebrated because they know the value of the opponent,” Guardiola told reporters at his latest press conference.
He also spoke about City’s fans, who unveiled a banner reading: “Panic on the streets of London.”
“They knew that if we didn’t win, it would be goodbye. They won, and we are still there. How can they not celebrate?” he added.
“The more you respect your opponent and their fans, celebrate however you want,” Guardiola concluded.
Guardiola was also quick to reject the idea that teams should wait until they secure the trophy before showing emotion.
For the City manager, football is about living in the moment and recognizing the hard work required to defeat top-level opponents.
