Josko Gvardiol: Man City Defender Gives Up Hat-trick Moment, Concedes Penalty to Julian Alvarez

• Josko Gvardiol chose team success ahead of personal glory
• The defender had the chance to score a historic hat-trick
• Nonetheless, he scored twice as Man City crushed Fulham

Josko Gvardiol passed up on an opportunity to etch his name in the history books during Manchester City's 4-0 thumping of Fulham on Saturday afternoon.

The Croatian defender, displaying his impressive goal-scoring form, netted twice alongside goals from Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez as City surged to the top of the Premier League, displacing Arsenal, who play Manchester United on Sunday.

While Gvardiol played a pivotal role in City's pursuit of an unprecedented fourth consecutive league title, he could have claimed personal accolades as well.

Scoring with a precise strike from his weaker foot in the 13th minute and adding another goal 19 minutes from time, the former RB Leipzig star seemed destined for a historic achievement, per Eurosport.

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Gvardiol gifts penalty to Man City teammate

In stoppage time, when City were awarded a penalty, Gvardiol opted to pass up the chance for a hat-trick, having netted twice from open play.

According to GOAL, instead, he selflessly handed the opportunity to teammate Julian Alvarez, who had replaced first-choice penalty taker Erling Haaland late in the game.

Alvarez, with two goals in his last three appearances for the Citizens, confidently converted the penalty, sealing City's victory in emphatic fashion.

While Alvarez secured the fourth and final goal, Gvardiol earned praise for prioritising team success over individual glory, showcasing his selflessness and team spirit.

Fans react to Gvardiol's penalty gesture

@victoricruzz praised the Croatian defender for his selflessness:

"Mad respect for Gvardiol, dude's a class act. Could've gone for personal glory but chose the team to win instead."

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@idan_olowo43695 added:

"A typical example of a selfless player! I hope he breaks the record eventually."

@ChembiyanM also said:

"Joško is in great form right now 👏👏💪💪. Team Player 👍"

On the other hand, @nigertale, disagreed with the popular assertion:

"lol, he should have taken the spot-kick himself to complete his hat trick."

@faroukumarfk shared the sentiments of @nigertale:

"He should have taken it and become the first defender to do that."

Guardiola insists Arsenal are ahead in EPL race

In an earlier publication, Sports Brief reported that Pep Guardiola has reiterated that Arsenal maintains a notable advantage over Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

With both teams showing strong form in the closing weeks of the campaign, the race appears destined for a thrilling conclusion.

Despite having a game in hand, Guardiola maintains that Arsenal have a slight edge over the Citizens.