Sometimes there is no need to say anything.
When you are as expressive on the touchline as Pep Guardiola, visual evidence can be enough to gauge the importance of an occasion.
In Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, there was a long period of simmering discontent, then thinly disguised fury at the penalty given against his team after referee Craig Pawson had been told to stop the game to check Ruben Dias’ ‘foul’ on Jacob Ramsey.
Most thought video assistant referee (VAR) John Brooks was right. Guardiola was not among them. He shook his head, ranted at his coaches on the bench, then launched a tirade towards the nearby fourth official.
Guardiola was booked for his emotive reaction but he felt wronged. He was still shaking his head forcefully, his face set like stone, as the replay was shown on the big screen at the exact moment he returned to his seat after half-time.
Then there was a demand for more noise, gesturing to all parts of the ground for City’s fans to turn up the volume, and a familiar sink to the knees as James McAtee’s delicate lob dropped just the wrong side of the post.
Finally there was the tension release of Matheus Nunes’ injury-time winner. Guardiola reacted as though he had scored himself, acknowledging the noise from the fans he wanted more from earlier.
There was a storming of the pitch as the whistle blew, a hug – tight – for Nunes, a laugh and a joke with Kevin de Bruyne, who at the weekend revealed his manager had not even made an offer for him to stay at the end of the season.
Make no mistake, this win was big.
“You don’t have to be a scientist to realise that we were playing against Aston Villa, one of the best teams, as you saw against Newcastle and PSG,” said Guardiola.
“They are an extraordinary team but we performed as we did in the past with the commitment.
“Qualification for the Champions League is important, of course, but sometimes we have to be calm. We must focus on the semi-final and after we have days to prepare for the four ‘finals’. Two at home, two away.”
By that, Guardiola means Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest, and then back to the Premier League for key games against Wolves and relegated Southampton before the final two – Bournemouth at home, Fulham away – interspersed, he hopes, with another trip to Wembley.
