Pep Guardiola was pleased with the reaction of his Manchester City players as the Premier League champions came from behind to beat Luton at Kenilworth Road.
City came into the game on a four-game winless run, but ended that streak with a 2-1 win against The Hatters. Elijah Adebayo put Luton ahead in first-half stoppage time as Rob Edwards’ side threatened an upset, rising at the back post to meet Andros Townsend’s cross.
Guardiola’s side regrouped after the half-time interval and found an equaliser through Bernardo Silva, before Jack Grealish turned in a low cross from Julian Alvarez to seal all three points. City remain fourth in the Premier League table, four points behind leaders Liverpool.
“Great performance after what happened in the last results,” Guardiola told BBC Match of the Day.
“We conceded the goal in the last minute of the first half. It was a really good test and the players reacted as they had to. That is the challenge. They are still there in the way that they run, they fight and here and behave how we behave i am really proud.”
On his side’s second-half performance, Guardiola said: “We played better in the first. The first half was better much better but we need the goals and in the first half we didn’t score.”
Erling Haaland missed the clash with a foot injury and Guardiola said the Norwegian was a doubt for the club’s Club World Cup campaign.
“We don’t know. It’s his foot, we’ll see. Day by day, week by week. Hopefully we can recover him for the [Club] World Cup.”
