City Defender Dias Delivers Critical Assessment of Southampton's Strategies in Scoreless Encounter, Yet Guardiola Disputes His Opinion
In the aftermath of Manchester City's disheartening 0-0 draw against Southampton, defender Ruben Dias let loose with a fiery critique, accused the hosts of lacking the will to win and playing purely for the sake of having a presence.
City slumped a golden opportunity to align points with Arsenal and delivered an underwhelming attacking showcase against relegated Southampton, who are destined to end their season as the cellar dwellers. Despite the return of Erling Haaland, Saints' goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale faced minimal pressure, and it wasn't until a header from an agitated Dias that his skills were truly tested.
Omar Marmoush, later on, hammered the crossbar, sealing a costly missed opportunity for City in the Champions League race while the Saints cemented their place in history, escaping the ignominious distinction as the worst-performing top-flight team ever.
Post-match, Dias spoke his piece, bemoaning Southampton's relentless resistance and trickery, insisting they intentionally dragged out the tempo and wouldn't strive for victory. He shared his thoughts with BBC Radio 5 Live:
"It's frustrating, obviously every point matters now. And it's just frustrating to play against a team like this.
They don't even try to play the game; they just sit and don't even want to win. They just want to be there. It's not good for the show, and it's not good for them either. It's no good for anyone, but it is what it is."
However, Pep Guardiola vehemently disagreed with Dias, stating that Southampton can play as they please. Responding to Dias' comments, the City boss declared:
"No, no, no. Absolutely not. They can do whatever they want. For many years here, we've faced different teams with varying approaches, and they decided they have to play. It's on us to break them."
Dias also laid the blame for City's muted attacking display at the feet of the "dry" St. Mary's pitch, adding, "It's sad that Southampton waste time the way they do. They just want to stop the game and make it as slow as possible because then the grass is dry."
Southampton playfully referenced Dias' outburst, tweeting a jibe, "A point without even trying to play," together with images of smiling players after the final whistle.
"In the European-leagues, Dias criticized Southampton's tactics in their goalless draw against Manchester City, stating they were more interested in being present than winning. He expressed his frustration on BBC Radio 5 Live, saying, 'It's frustrating to play against a team like this, they don't even try to play the game; they just sit and don't even want to win.' In response, Pep Guardiola defended Southampton, saying they can play as they please. After the game, Omar Marmoush's missed opportunity sealed a costly point for City in the Premier League and the Champions League race."
"Southampton's resistance and trickery, according to Dias, intentionally slowed down the tempo, and he also accused them of wasting time. He further blamed the 'dry' St. Mary's pitch for City's muted attacking display. Post-match, Southampton playfully responded to Dias' outburst with a tweet that said, 'A point without even trying to play,' accompanied by images of smiling players after the final whistle."
