Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke to the media following his side’s 3-3 draw with Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium

10:15, 05 May 2026Updated 23:28, 05 May 2026

Pep Guardiola hailed the atmosphere at Hill Dickinson Stadium following Manchester City’s first trip to Everton’s new home while detailing the intense physical battle he felt his side had to go through to snatch a point in their dramatic 3-3 draw.

After falling behind to Jeremy Doku’s 43rd minute strike, David Moyes’ men turned the contest on its head in a wild second half as substitute Thierno Barry bagged a brace (68, 81) either side of Jake O’Brien heading the Blues in front.

However, the home side were left to rue some big misses by Iliman Ndiaye as Erling Haaland (83) reduced arrears soon after their second goal and with just seconds remaining, Doku netted his second goal of the evening to secure a share of the spoils.

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Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Guardiola spoke of his affection for Goodison Park by remarking: “The old Everton stadium was so cool and so British, and I loved to go there, but I’m looking forward to go to the new stadium.”

Following that initial visit, he told the ECHO: “It’s beautiful, congratulations. They are rich.

“It [the atmosphere compared to Goodison] was quite similar, they were proper. Proper English football, an English game.

“Proper, really, really good. A ‘men game’… definitely.”

The 55-year-old added: “This stadium is not easy, it never has been at Everton. They have had a really good season, I think they defend really well, they defend the byline with six or seven players on the crosses.

“[James] Tarkowski and [Michael] Keane never shoot across, they are always there. The gaps between central defenders and full-backs are always occupied for the holding midfielders that they defend proper on the duels and [Jordan] Pickford is an incredible deliverer of the long balls.

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“Even when they have eight or nine players in the box, we arrived, we create and make the last pass. In these type of games when you are 1-0 in the Premier League away in the position, they make an incredible step up in the duels.

“I say how good they were, how they fought all the time.”

Guardiola also elaborated on how physical he felt Everton played and bemoaned the decision to award the hosts a corner from which Jake O’Brien headed in their second goal to put them in front. He said: “It’s better to get a point than no point. It would have been better to win the game like we needed to.

“It was difficult in the opening, with the incredible, incredible aggressive way that they play. We were composed and the first half was exceptional. In the second, we played with a good process but maybe not with the intention that we had in the first half.

“After that, we gave away the first goal, which is football. Then the corner, which was not a corner.

“They are so good, David Moyes has always been so good on set-pieces. After that, the game was open and on transition they had chances.

“We had the momentum to make an incredible second goal while the third goal was outstanding, so we take a point. I know it was in our hands, and now it’s not but now we have Brentford on Saturday and we’ll see what happens.

“We knew we had to win the game for the situation with how many games we have left. After that, the duels continued to be aggressive, making chances on transitions and the long balls they are better with Beto and [Thierno] Barry.

“The second balls, they win some, and you concede the free-kicks and corners and you make decisions that are a little bit rushed. It’s normal because emotions are there, and at the same time, without that emotion, you cannot come back and you cannot score goals because you would give up and think: ‘I die, I die,’ and you cannot do what we have done.”

Guardiola was also asked about Michael Keane’s challenge on Jeremy Doku which earned the Everton centre-back a booking which remained in place after a VAR check. He said: “What can I say? Yellow card.

“In 30 seconds, [Jeremy] Doku out, waiting to come back.”

When questioned by a reporter whether he felt it should have been a sending off, the Manchester City manager replied: “It’s not my job.”