Hollywood actress Julia Roberts once again showcased her unwavering support for her beloved team, Manchester United, by attending the pre-season friendly match against Arsenal at the MetLife Stadium in Florida on Saturday.
On Saturday at a packed MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the Red Devils defeated the Gunners 2-0 in a resounding victory. Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes’ goals in a span of eight first-half minutes were sufficient for United to earn its third straight preseason victory.
However, it was Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, who might have experienced mixed feelings upon seeing his idol, Julia Roberts, passionately cheering for his arch-rivals, Manchester United.
Hollywood smiles! 😁#MUFC || #MUTOUR23 https://t.co/SRER5wo0ss pic.twitter.com/gxcwcL05Xz
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 23, 2023
Back in March, Guardiola expressed feeling like a “failure” when Hollywood actor Roberts chose to visit Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, instead of City’s Etihad Stadium. Roberts has long considered herself a dedicated Manchester United fan and has attended several games over the years.
Julia Roberts has a special place in her heart for Manchester United
In March, it was revealed that Julia Roberts holds a special place as one of Guardiola’s three idols, alongside legendary figures Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Despite City’s impressive achievements, including four Premier League titles in five years, Guardiola expressed that he felt a bit disheartened when Roberts chose to watch Manchester United on her visit to the UK.
Guardiola stated that she had visited during a period when Manchester City had been performing better than United for four or five years. He mentioned that she went to see Man United instead of visiting their team, and this made him feel disappointed. Guardiola emphasized that even if he were to win the Champions League, it would not compare to the fact that Julia Roberts came to Manchester but did not come to see their team.
However, in a heartwarming gesture, following Manchester City’s triumphant victory over Inter in the UEFA Champions League final, Julia Roberts sent a message of support to Pep Guardiola. On her Instagram account, she wrote, “Congratulations Pep for leading your team to be UCL champions,” along with the hashtags #pep and #soccermom. The caption posted a picture of Guardiola kissing the Champions League trophy following the thrilling victory.
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It looks like Roberts has once again made Pep Guardiola feel disheartened by making herself present at the MetLife Stadium, to watch United. While the red part of Manchester is on the U.S. tour to shape itself up prior to the star of the season, Manchester City, however, has toured to Asia this summer as part of their preparations for the 2023–24 season.