Man City Fans Urged to Generate More Noise by Guardiola

There has been much discussion about the atmosphere created by Man City fans, and during one of the biggest games of the season, Pep Guardiola had to request more noise from the stadium.

A Lackluster Atmosphere at the Etihad

The Etihad Stadium is not known for its raucous atmosphere, and this was evident during Saturday’s game when Guardiola had to make efforts to generate some excitement.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ironic shush celebration highlighted the lack of noise from the crowd, which one would expect for such an important occasion.

Throughout the match, Guardiola repeatedly got out of his seat in the dugout and gestured to the crowd, asking for more noise from the Man City fans. Unfortunately, his requests did not receive much of a response.

“It’s 12:30, we were still in the sheets. It’s 12:30, we were still sleeping a little bit,” Guardiola commented after the 1-1 draw.

Pep Guardiola says he wanted ‘some more noise’ from the Manchester City supporters at the Etihad today ? pic.twitter.com/GAjFngg7GC

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 25, 2023

“Yeah, I would like noise. I like noise against Liverpool but okay, it didn’t happen. Do you know what I feel when it doesn’t happen? You have to play better.”

Guardiola was seen tapping his ears throughout the match, directing his attention to the stand behind the dugout and wagging his finger in response. This is not the first time he has done so.

The early kick-off time of 12:30 pm is far from ideal for both players and fans. However, as Guardiola pointed out, some fans were still in bed while the traveling Liverpool supporters made their fair share of noise in the corner of the South Stand.

After all these years, it seems unlikely that the atmosphere at the Etihad will change. Apologies, Pep.

And you can be sure that Klopp will not be begging for a similar reaction at Anfield when these two teams meet again in the league in early March.

Fortunately, that fixture does not immediately follow an international break. If the Reds qualify for the Europa League round of 16, as they are expected to, the match will not be scheduled for a 12:30 pm Saturday kickoff as they will play on the preceding Thursday.