Pep Guardiola said he allows his Manchester City players decide who takes penalties after Ilkay Gundogan missed a spot-kick in City’s defeat to Tottenham in Sunday’s Premier League clash.
The Germany international was a surprise penalty taker, especially with club-record scorer Sergio Aguero on the field.
The penalty was awarded in controversial circumstances, given almost two minutes after the original foul by VAR after referee Mike Dean had waved away City’s claims that Aguero had been fouled by Serge Aurier.
The game was goalless at the time with the Blues dominant, but that all changed after Oleksandr Zinchenko was sent off, an event Guardiola said was more important than the penalty miss.
“They decide,” Guardiola told the BBC after being asked why Gundogan had taken the penalty.
“If we scored, it would have been better, maybe, but in the second half we started well and created chances to score and didn’t do that.
“Until Zinchenko was sent off, the rest was OK.”
City’s record from the spot will concern Guardiola, even as their chances of retaining the Premier League have surely evaporated.
If they are to win the Champions League, something the Catalan admitted he must do to avoid being seen as a failure, they’ll need to sharpen up from 12 yards.
City have missed four of their last six penalties, with Gundogan the third offender. Sterling has also spurned the opportunity, while Gabriel Jesus has done so twice in that time.
In the last two seasons, only city rivals Man Utd have missed more penalties in the Premier League.
The Red Devils have failed seven times, while City have done so on six occasions.
It didn’t matter so much for Guardiola’s men last campaign as they won the league for the second consecutive season.
This time out they’re in second place, a seemingly insurmountable 22 points behind leaders Liverpool, and are looking to the cup competitions for trophies this season.
They face West Ham next weekend before they take in the Premier League winter break. They resume hostilities domestically against third-placed Leicester City before the first leg of their mouthwatering Champions League last 16 tie with Real Madrid on February 26.