Guardiola: Lovable McAtee is ´adorable´

Pep Guardiola quipped that James McAtee is “adorable” after the youngster netted his first Manchester City goal.

McAtee, who has spent most of the past two seasons on loan at Sheffield United, came on from the bench to score City’s fourth in their 4-0 rout of Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday.

It was McAtee’s second appearance in the Champions League, two years and 206 days since his debut in the competition – that is the longest gap between a Man City player’s first and second outing in the competition.

“We are so happy with him, he’s adorable, and all the guys love him,” Guardiola said of the 21-year-old City academy graduate.

“McAtee moved really well in small spaces, made a fantastic goal, had another chance, and for him will be a good boost, we want to make him feel he is part of that group.”

Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring for City in the eighth minute, with Phil Foden netting a second before Erling Haaland made it 3-0.

“The group of players are fantastic, we played a good game, a lot of chances and the first three points of the competition,” said Guardiola, whose team were held to a goalless draw by Inter in their opening match.

“Win your games it will be enough. We got the first victory to [move up] the table a little bit higher than we were, so it’s nice.”

4 – Manchester City have now won 13 UEFA Champions League games by a margin of 4+ goals under Pep Guardiola, the most by a manager with the same team in the competition (overtaking Alex Ferguson’s 12 with Manchester United). Dominance. #UCL pic.twitter.com/3suN9Bw1xW

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 1, 2024

Since his debut in the competition for City in September 2022, Erling Haaland has scored more goals in the Champions League than any other player, netting 19 goals in just 22 appearances for the Citizens.

Foden, meanwhile, is one of four players to have scored in each of the last seven Champions League campaigns (since 2018-19) along with Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.

And Guardiola thought last year’s Premier League Player of the Year was much more like himself after a slow start to the season from his perspective.

“Made a fantastic goal, just passed the ball to the post, always I say ‘Pass the ball to the post, not shoot, and you’ll have more chances’,” Guardiola said.

“Step by step, it is coming back.”

City are now unbeaten in each of their last 25 Champions League games (W17 D8), the joint-longest run without defeat in European Cup/UEFA Champions history, level with Manchester United between September 2007 and May 2009.