Pep Guardiola says Manchester City ‘took a step forward’ despite AC Milan loss

Pep Guardiola says his Manchester City broadside were amended than their first crippled contempt losing to AC Milan successful pre-season.

The Premier League champions mislaid 3-2 to nan Serie A broadside successful New York, conscionable a fewer days aft they mislaid to Scottish champions Celtic.

Erling Haaland scored again to steer his broadside into nan lead aft being recovered by Oscar Bobb.

Lorenzo Colombo equalised for Milan and past put them successful a beforehand conscionable earlier half-time.

James McAtee headed location successful nan 2nd half to level things astatine 2-2 but Marco Nasti scored nan victor from nan separator of nan container for AC Milan.

After nan match, Guardiola said: “We were amended than nan first game.

“It was a measurement guardant – nary injuries, minutes successful our legs, different trial – and now we alert to different crippled successful a fewer days.”

FULL-TIME | An entertaining duel ⚔️

🩵 2-3 🔴 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/oQcVrvc7bX

— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 28, 2024

Villa defeated

Elsewhere, Aston Villa were beaten 4-1 by Columbus Crew successful nan US.

Emiliano Buendia made his long-awaited return to action having been sidelined since past August pinch a knee injury.

Unai Emery said: “The champion news is his comeback.

“Emiliano Buendia’s comeback aft 1 year.

“We are happy pinch his return and we person to activity now pinch him trying to get nan champion of him progressively.

“The first 30 minutes he played, really, is awesome for america and for nan team.”

New signings Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen some sewage their first minutes arsenic Villans, but they did not travel connected until they were already 4-1 down.

Emery added: “Of course, nan consequence is not bully but, for us, now nan consequence is not nan astir important.

“Most important is to build a team, get accusation astir nan players, and this was nan first lucifer for immoderate players, and they played well. Even losing, they played well.”

Full-time successful Columbus. pic.twitter.com/L9aCFPVIaB

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 28, 2024

Hammers humbled

Julen Lopetegui was beaten 3-1 by his erstwhile broadside Wolves successful Florida.

Stormy upwind put nan lucifer connected halt temporarily but it did not return agelong for Matheus Cunha to put nan Midlands broadside ahead.

Mohammed Kudus equalised before  Rodrigo Gomes bagged a brace to springiness Wolves a 3-1 win.

Cunha did travel disconnected pinch an wounded and Gary O’Neil says nan Brazilian was emotion symptom successful his knee.

He said: “He [Cunha] felt a flimsy symptom down his knee.

“It’s disappointing. With nan crippled being delayed and nan bedewed pitch, they activity truthful difficult and are finely tuned, truthful it doesn’t return overmuch to propulsion them.

“Matheus is incredibly important to us, but nan early signs don’t look bad. He won’t beryllium risked again until he’s wholly fine, truthful nan adjacent fewer days I tin supply an update.”

Lopetegui replaced David Moyes arsenic caput coach of West Ham this summertime and admitted location is simply a batch to activity connected for nan remainder of pre-season.

He said: “We person a batch of activity to do successful beforehand of us.”

Valuable minutes gained successful Florida. pic.twitter.com/zWHIIfzCqZ

— West Ham United (@WestHam) July 28, 2024