Pep Guardiola rubbishes Wayne Rooney's 'stupid' criticism of Man City's celebrations after 'final' win over Arsenal

Rooney had claimed the reaction from the City players and supporters after 2-1 win was "a bit over the top", while former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy suggested the scenes "felt a bit much" after Gianluigi Donnarumma leaped into the crowd to celebrate with the home fans. Guardiola was dismissive of the comments, insisting that his side understood the gravity of the result in the context of the Premier League title race. "When they celebrated, people can say whatever - stupid things they want to say - they celebrated because they know the value of the opponent," Guardiola told reporters during his latest press conference. The victory over Arsenal means City can move to the top of the table with another win against Burnley on Wednesday.

The City boss explained that the intensity of the celebrations was a direct reflection of the pressure the squad felt heading into the match. He claimed that a loss would have effectively ended their hopes of silverware, making the three points worth every bit of the noise generated at full-time. Erling Haaland was even seen singing into a television camera during a post-match lap of honour. Guardiola also addressed the City fans' involvement, which included a banner that read: "Panic on the streets of London."

"They knew if we didn't win it would be 'bye bye.' They won and still we are there. How can they not celebrate it? As much as you respect the opponent and the fans of the opponent, celebrate however you want," Guardiola added.

Guardiola was quick to dismiss the idea that teams should wait until the trophy is secured before showing emotion. For the City manager, football is about living in the moment and acknowledging the hard work required to beat top-level competition. "Wait until the end of the season to celebrate? Come on," he remarked. "I said to them 'every single game go to our fans and enjoy the moment.' What sense is there not to live it? You have to celebrate just once if you win? And if you don't win you cry all the time? Come on. Everybody knew that game. It was a final. Especially for us. Maybe not for them but for us it was a final and of course you have to celebrate it."

City’s focus must now shift immediately to their midweek clash with Burnley. Guardiola will be hoping his side can carry that same energy into the game at Turf Moor, although they will have to do so without key midfielder Rodri, who will miss the game due to a groin injury sustained during the Arsenal match. The race for the Premier League crown remains on a knife-edge, with Guardiola stressing that neither City nor Arsenal can afford any further slip-ups.

Click here to read article