Whether he's heaping praise on a team Manchester City have thrashed, wildly overhyping a player or snapping at the poor questioner after a defeat, Pep Guardiola's post-match interviews are often worth a watch.
The Catalan coach delivered a highlight reel following City's 4-2 comeback victory over Tottenham Hotspur in January 2023. While chastising his side as a "happy flowers" team, Guardiola took aim at the Etihad crowd. "Our fans were silent for 45 minutes," he moaned.
"I want my fans back. I want my fans that are here - not my away fans, they are the best - but my fans here to support every corner and every action."
Whether City's stoic support took the barb from their own manager on board is open for debate. But the results certainly point towards an uptick.
That triumph over Tottenham was the second in a dizzying sequence of consecutive home victories for Guardiola and his softly spoken support. A 2-1 win over Brighton nine months later took City's tally to 21 on the spin across all competitions, a record for any Premier League club.
To make the statistical milestone even sweeter, City surpassed the benchmark set by their fierce rivals Manchester United.
Back when Sir Alex Ferguson was still firmly at the helm in the red half of Manchester, United strung together 20 straight wins at Old Trafford between December 2010 and September 2011. That run ended with a 3-3 draw against FC Basel but City were the first team to beat United at Old Trafford after their winning streak.
Roberto Mancini's side romped to an infamous 6-1 thrashing, with the mood captured by a supporter's commentary of the match. Cackling into the microphone as the goals flew past David de Gea, the fan screamed: "Take it! Take it! 3-0 at the swamp! It's the stuff of dreams!"
City have not claimed the outright record. Sunderland's golden vintage from 1891/92 boasted 24 consecutive home victories.
Football was a very different sport 131 years ago; permanent crossbars were introduced midway through the season and Sunderland's goalkeeper - Ned Doig - so vehemently insisted upon covering his receding hairline with a cap that he would abandon his goal to fetch it in the middle of a match if it was blown off by a gust of wind. Although, if anything, a wandering keeper makes Sunderland's feat all the more impressive.
Man City's winning run at the Etihad
Guardiola's outburst after the victory over Spurs was not the first jibe he had fired towards his own fans. In 2020, the demanding manager implored the club's supporters to make sure the Etihad was "full, full, full" for every match. City's home ground was quickly rechristened the 'Emptyhad' by opposition fans.
During City's 21-game winning streak, the attendance did not drop below 50,000 in the 53,400-capacity stadium. More than half of this sequence has seen fewer than 400 empty seats.
More than 52,000 were in attendance for the most impressive victory in this run and perhaps throughout Guardiola's entire spell as City manager. The hosts suffocated reigning European Champions Real Madrid in the second leg of last season's Champions League semi-final. With a 2-0 lead going into the interval, City had taken 197 touches in the attacking third, allowing Madrid just ten. By the end of a night to remember - and one which Guardiola predicted in a pre-match text to Rio Ferdinand - City had cruised to an era-defining 4-0 thrashing.
City's fans certainly enjoyed that night.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Man City set new Premier League winning record at home.
