According to a report by Sky Sports on Thursday, October 22, 2026, Cesc Fàbregas has admitted that he regrets instructing his Como players to slow down after taking a commanding 4-0 lead over Manchester United in their UEFA Champions League encounter.

The Spanish manager revealed that he asked his players to reduce their intensity during the closing stages of Wednesday's match, hoping to conserve energy ahead of Como's next Serie A fixture against Sassuolo.

However, Manchester United scored a late consolation goal through Joshua Zirkzee, leaving Fàbregas frustrated with his decision to ease the pressure on their opponents.

Como secured an emphatic 4-1 victory at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, delivering a dominant performance against Michael Carrick's side and further intensifying the scrutiny surrounding the English club's struggles.

Speaking after the match, Fàbregas acknowledged that his instructions contributed to Como losing some of their defensive intensity.

“I regret the last ten minutes because I was the one who told the team to slow down the tempo because there's another match, and at 4-0 we could manage things a little,” he said.

“I told the players to stop running and stay in the middle, and that is something I regret because I'm always the first to push them to fight until the end.”

The former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder added that United's late goal disappointed him because his team had allowed their standards to drop after producing an impressive performance for most of the encounter.

“Their goal hurt me because we dropped in our enthusiasm and dropped in our defending, but the mistake was mine,” Fàbregas added.

Despite his frustration over the closing stages, the Como manager praised his players for executing their tactical instructions and maintaining relentless pressure for much of the game.

He said he was particularly pleased with the team's quality, aggression, belief and commitment to pressing their opponents, describing the performance as another important step in establishing a clear identity for the club.

Fàbregas also admitted that defeating a club with Manchester United's history was a source of considerable pride for Como, whose recent progress has attracted increasing attention in European football.

“I cannot lie to you about the fact that beating Manchester United was not a source of pride,” he said, expressing his hope that the result would inspire young supporters to embrace the club.

The Como manager said the players had made the occasion special by delivering the kind of football he wants his team to produce consistently.

According to the official match report, Como took the lead in the second minute when Nico Paz curled a shot into the net. The Argentine midfielder proved instrumental throughout the encounter, scoring twice and providing an assist.

Anastasios Douvikas doubled Como's advantage in the 49th minute after receiving a pass from Paz. Eight minutes later, Paz scored his second goal to put the hosts 3-0 ahead.

Jacobo Ramón completed the scoring for Como in the 76th minute, heading home a cross from substitute Kaiki Bruno to make it 4-0.

United eventually found the net in stoppage time through Zirkzee, but the goal did little to change the outcome of a disappointing night for the English side.

The result has increased scrutiny of Carrick and Manchester United's performances, with the team struggling to produce consistent results across competitions.