Foden admission and Gundogan tough love - Pep Guardiola turns corner with two Man City players

'Ilkay Gundogan has picked up where he left off, hasn't he?', came the question.

Pep Guardiola looked a little confused, particularly after saying Gundogan was still far from his best for Manchester City only a few days before.

He praised Gundogan's performance against Slovan Bratislava before dropping a pretty big bit of criticism in the way of his former captain and neighbour. "The game in Newcastle was not really good, maybe one of the worst ive ever seen in the last eight or nine years. But it happens."

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Guardiola had challenged Gundogan at St James' Park to rediscover his best form, but stopped short of such headline-grabing criticism. He enjoys a good relationship with Gundogan and the German was his first signing.

Maybe it's because Gundogan is so consistent but criticism like that is rare and unusual - you get the feeling conversations like that usually take place behind closed doors with someone like Gundogan.

Yet here was Guardiola, calling out something he didn't like, and not for the first time this season. He has kept his cards close to his chest with Phil Foden, but referenced his performance against Watford as one he wasn't happy with in another public challenge.

Foden came off the bench at Newcastle and Guardiola was slightly happier - while still insisting he's nowhere near his best - and there was similar praise in Slovakia.

“Yeah he still is not his best," Guardiola said after the game on Tuesday of Foden. "Step by step he's coming back."

In his press conference, he said: "I have the feeling he is getting better step