Foden, Grealish suffer abuse during Manchester Derby – Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said Jack Grealish and Phil Foden “don’t feel good” after they suffered abuse in separate incidents during last weekend’s 0-0 draw at local rivals Manchester United.

A man has been charged with assault after Grealish was allegedly slapped by a supporter as he left the field. Guardiola was outspoken in his criticism of fans after the game for an offensive chant about Foden’s mother during the match.

“If you take a look around, you will realise we are not on the right path,” said Guardiola on Friday. “They (Foden and Grealish) don’t feel good, but we move forward.

“It is happening everywhere. It’s a crazy world, right? Everything happens all around the world, not just in sport. Nobody is away from that. I know it’s happened sometimes in our club, but it’s not a problem about a specific club or a specific department in world football. It happens everywhere.”

At this stage of the season, City are used to battling for the Premier League title, but this time find themselves down in sixth and scrapping just to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

There was some good news for Guardiola this week with confirmation that a top-five finish will be enough to reach the Champions League thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competition. Just six points separate Nottingham Forest in third from Aston Villa in seventh.

And City’s quest is not helped by a lengthy injury list that contains Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, top scorer Erling Haaland, plus key defenders John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake.

“We didn’t have the squad all season, but we adapt,” added Guardiola. “You can see it as a problem or a challenge. You could see the position as a disaster, but it could be worse. I’m really satisfied with the way we’ve handled it.”

City host the in-form Crystal Palace in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off, giving the defending English champions the chance to climb into fourth before Chelsea and Newcastle are in action on Sunday.

“(Palace) is a team who have been in incredible, top form in the last two months, and they have always been difficult,” added Guardiola. “I admire the manager, the way they play, the talent and the physicality they have, but at the same time, I’m optimistic to finish well this season.”