Leroy Sane: Pep Guardiola 'Woke Us Up' with Huddersfield Half-Time Team Talk

Manchester City winger Leroy Sane said manager Pep Guardiola gave the team a much-needed wake-up call at half-time in their 3-0 Premier League win over Huddersfield Town on Sunday.

The Citizens entered half-time with a one-goal lead but looked lethargic, only to come out firing in the second half. Speaking to Sky Sports (h/t Evening Standard's Tom Doyle), the German international credited the coach for their intensity:

"I think everyone could see in the second half we played quicker, had better position and we controlled the game really well.

"[Guardiola said] we can't play the way how we played in the first half. If they scored at 1-1 then it would have been difficult to win the game.

"That's why he woke us up a little bit to play our game again quicker, better and helped us with the spaces."

Rui Vieira/Associated Press

City won 3-0 courtesy of goals by Danilo, Raheem Sterling and Sane himself. The last two were scored just minutes apart.

The one-sided scoreline was to be expected:

It also marked a milestone for the Citizens:

But the Terriers gave a good show. In their first match since the departure of manager David Wagner, they held out well in the opening half despite conceding within 20 minutes.

Defending champions City didn't exactly make life hard on the hosts, as their pace of play dropped tremendously following the opener.

Sportswriter Daniel Storey was not impressed early but liked what he saw after the break:

Sterling doubled the lead with a header, the second goal all but killing Huddersfield's resolve. They conceded again just two minutes later, with Sane putting the finishing touches on the contest.

The win meant City maintained a gap of just four points to leaders Liverpool, who narrowly beat Crystal Palace 4-3 on Saturday. The two sides have been engaged in a close battle all season, and it seems the race will go down to the wire.

City's next outing will be the return leg of an EFL Cup tie with Burton Albion, and they'll defend a nine-goal lead on Wednesday. It could be yet another ugly affair, though Guardiola is expected to heavily rotate his side.

They won't play another Premier League outing until Jan. 29 against Newcastle.