Pep Guardiola sees ‘big team’ behaviour emerging at Man City

Pep Guardiola has seen Manchester City acting like a ‘big team’ in the last six weeks as their hunt for multiple trophies continues.

Their lengthy winning streak may have ended at Southampton but City have marched on in the Premier League and FA Cup by showing a resilience that has not always been apparent.

Just as they had done against Arsenal on New Year’s Day and at St Mary’s more recently, City conceded the first goal on Saturday as Fulham showed why they have been so lethal on the Championship.

And just as they had in those previous matches, Guardiola’s side dug in and took something from the game — in this instance a win that booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

City’s ability to come from behind is not tested regularly because they are able to control so many of the games they play, but their recent responses have been encouraging ahead of the business end of the season where the pressure — and the quality of opponent in the Champions League — increases.

The response when things aren’t going their way is a trait that Guardiola places a high value on when judging players. Based on the last few weeks, the former Barcelona and Bayern coach has seen a ‘big team’ fight their way back from setbacks in a manner that he believes will be needed again before the season is out.

“I don’t care how well the players play if it’s 3-0 or if we are playing good,” he said. “We try and play and train and talk and videos and whatever to try to play maximum at 100 per cent, but sometimes most of that doesn't happen.

“How you react in the bad moments, this is what the big teams do. This is what I want to see.

“The reaction in Southampton was exceptional. When I say how good it was I do it because I give value to the