Pep Guardiola praises Josko Gvardiol’s growing confidence and influence
Defender was ‘a little bit shy’ in early months at Manchester CityJohn Stones may return at Tottenham after Nathan Aké injury
Pep Guardiola has hailed the transformation in Josko Gvardiol from nervous newcomer to potentially title-winning goal machine, saying the Manchester City left-back “struggled” during his early months at the club.
Gvardiol scored twice in a 4-0 win at Fulham that leaves a fourth straight Premier League trophy firmly in City’s sights. The first of those goals was superbly taken after an inventive burst inside; the second an instinctive toe-poke past Bernd Leno. The Croatian has scored five times in the past seven games, having broken his duck emphatically at the Bernabéu last month, and has become an unlikely driving force in City’s seemingly inexorable late-season run.
