Pep Guardiola agrees with Arne Slot on Premier League point - 'I'm pretty sure'

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Manchester City were beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League in midweek as all of the English sides in the competition endured a tough week.

Pep Guardiola believes talk of a Premier League demise in Europe is premature after hailing the first 20 minutes of Manchester City's midweek Champions League defeat to Real Madrid as 'one of the best we played there'.

City slipped to a 3-0 first leg loss in their last-16 clash in Spain, leaving them with a mountain to climb at the Etihad on Tuesday. City's defeat was one of four for English clubs in Europe's elite competition in midweek, with none of the six sides in the Champions League winning.

The Premier League haven't supplied a finalist since City lifted the trophy in 2023 but Guardiola believes the English top-flight remains the peak of football on the continent, echoing the view of Liverpool boss Arne Slot, who called on the English sides to be judged after the second legs.

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"Before it was the Premier League is the best in the world, all the teams qualified, all the teams in the Europa League, we were strong," said the City boss. "How nice we are, and then what happened after that… I’m pretty sure we are an incredible league. The league is fantastic.

"In this competition (the Champions League), in one or two games anything can happen. That means that even being good, in other leagues they are good too. No-one is doubting Bodo/Glimt in Norway now. Top team, win 3-0 against Sporting Lisbon, play magnificent, win against us, win against Inter in Milan, in Atletico Madrid. It’s tough. The sport is tough. Everyone is well prepared, they have incredible respect for everyone.

"If you want to say everything is a disaster . . . I have an opinion on the game in Madrid, completely an opinion. We did very good things and with other ones we could have been better. Emotions were involved. In the first 19/20 minutes before the first goal was exceptional, one of the best we played there.

"We came to make a threat and we were threatening. We concede one goal, immediately the second, it belongs to us and the quality of (Federico) Valverde and some mistakes. And after emotions are involved and it is a completely different game.

"Even in the second half, we started really well, conceded a penalty that was not because Gigio touched the ball. But we were there, we had chances. West Ham will help us to be in a good mood on Tuesday and we will see what happens."