Marc Guehi admitted Manchester City lacked aggression during their Champions League collapse against PSG

Man City endured a difficult night in the Champions League as they were stunned by a clinical PSG side. Goals from Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, and Vitinha saw the visitors take a commanding lead before the interval, leaving Enzo Maresca’s side with a mountain to climb. The French giants dominated the opening 45 minutes, taking advantage of a hesitant City backline that struggled to contain their rapid transitions.

Speaking after the final whistle, Guehi was honest about the team's failings during the early stages of the encounter. "First-half we need to do a lot better, myself included, for the first two goals," began Guéhi in his interview with City Studios. Guehi elaborated on why PSG were able to exert such control before the break, pointing to a discrepancy in intensity between the two European heavyweights. "I think they were a bit more aggressive and won a lot of one on one duels in the first-half which allowed them the platform to score them goals," the defender explained.

The second half was a relentless display of attacking football, with the two sides registering a combined 42 attempts on goal throughout the pulsating 90 minutes of action. The defender noted a significant shift in mentality after the teams returned from the dressing rooms. "Second-half I think was the complete opposite, we were a lot more aggressive. We won a lot more of the duels which gave us the platform to go and score those goals," Guehi remarked. This improved spirit saw City dominate possession and create 21 chances in the second period alone, though they ultimately fell short.

Reflecting on the overall performance, Guehi remained optimistic about the character shown by the squad under pressure. "Not the best first-half but a lot of positives to take from the second-half. It says a lot about not just the players but the football club in general, the fans stuck by us the whole game. The support was amazing," he added.

With the Champions League campaign still in its early stages, the focus now shifts to domestic duties and internal growth. Guehi emphasized that the team must use this defeat as a catalyst for improvement rather than a setback. “I think every single person knew that as long as we kept fighting, there was something there for us. I think it’s only the beginning of the competition,” the former Crystal Palace man noted confidently. The lessons learned from the PSG defeat will be vital as they look to maintain their domestic momentum. "Hopefully we can learn from this and put better performances in future games,” Guehi concluded.

Man City saw their eight-match unbeaten run come to an end after falling to Champions League holders at the Etihad Stadium. Despite delivering a determined, battling performance on home turf, the defeat leaves City sitting in 17th place in the 36-team Champions League table after two rounds of fixtures. City will look to rebound immediately with a pair of upcoming fixtures at the Etihad Stadium. They return to domestic duties this Saturday to host Ipswich Town in the Premier League, followed by their next Champions League clash against AEK on home soil on Tuesday.