Pep Guardiola defends Man City celebrations after Arsenal win following Wayne Rooney criticism

Football
22 Apr 2026 • 4:27 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Pep Guardiola has defended Manchester City's post-match celebrations following their 2-1 victory over Arsenal on Sunday, dismissing criticism from Wayne Rooney.
  • Rooney described City's exuberant scenes, which included Erling Haaland removing his shirt and fans unfurling a banner which read “Panic on the streets of London”, as “a little bit over the top”.
  • Guardiola stated that his players celebrated because they understood the significance of the win in the battle to win the Premier League.
  • The City manager encouraged his team to enjoy such moments, questioning why they should wait until the end of the season to celebrate.
  • Following Sunday’s win, Manchester City have the opportunity to go top of the Premier League by beating Burnley on Wednesday night, with Guardiola expressing that he is “more relaxed than ever” about the title race.

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