After former defender Gary Neville criticized Man City for playing boringly with predetermined results, coach Pep Guardiola affirmed that Man City is admired by the whole world.
Manchester City won 3-1 in Copenhagen in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie to extend their winning streak in all competitions to 11 games. Neville described the result as "a foregone conclusion" on the Stick to Football podcast, saying he was bored watching Manchester City and comparing it to Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson in the Champions League. "Manchester United were always exciting one way or another. They could win or lose and make the game interesting," he said.
In a press conference before the Chelsea match in round 25 of the Premier League, when asked about Neville's statement, Guardiola replied: "What can I say? Thank you Neville for the compliment. Everything is very difficult in football. Man City is admired, I'm quite sure about that, because people in the football world know how difficult it is to maintain stable performance for six, seven years in all tournaments."
The Spanish coach also denied that Man City had won their matches easily. "It looks easy, but it's not," he said. "Remember this: it looks easy, but it's not. The opponents respect us. Sometimes for many people, what we are doing is not enough, but I know how difficult it is."
Coach Guardiola directs Phil Foden in a Man City match in the 2023-2024 season. Photo: AFP
Guardiola said: "Chelsea are a special club, in every way. It will be one of the most difficult games we have until the end of the season. They have played really well in the last few games, showing intensity, quality. Chelsea are a strong club and tomorrow will be a very difficult game."
After heavy defeats to Liverpool and Wolves, Chelsea returned to winning ways in their last two matches, defeating Aston Villa 3-1 in the fourth round of the FA Cup and Crystal Palace 3-1 in the Premier League. The Blues have yet to improve their Premier League position, currently 10th with 34 points. But they still have a chance to win the title when they face Liverpool in the League Cup final at Wembley on February 25, then Leeds in the fifth round of the FA Cup on February 28.
Meanwhile, Man City are on a winning streak of 11 matches, including the FIFA Club World Cup. The Manchester club still has hope of repeating the treble, as they are second in the Premier League, beat Copenhagen 3-1 in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 and will face Luton Town in the fifth round of the FA Cup on February 27.
Guardiola believes Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal will form a three-horse race for the title, but insists the team must aim for victory, rather than focus on the results or wait for their opponents to stumble. "When there are eight or ten rounds left, we will see how many teams are competing for the title. I think there will be at least three, but the gap between fourth and fifth is very small," the 53-year-old coach said. "It doesn't matter if it's two, three or four teams. Man City have to win the matches, complete the task. The rest is not important."
Today's game will be Cole Palmer's first return to the Etihad as an opponent. The England midfielder joined Chelsea for $53.5 million in the summer of 2023 and has become an instant mainstay in Mauricio Pochettino's side, scoring ten goals in 20 Premier League appearances.
Guardiola was delighted for Palmer and insisted he had never doubted the 21-year-old's ability. But he was unable to meet the demands of regular playing time, forcing him to leave the Etihad. "The statistics and the way he played showed that Palmer was an excellent player," Guardiola said of his former player. "Palmer played as often as he wanted and it was just a matter of time before he showed his individual qualities."
Guardiola has no complaints about having to split his time between the Premier League and Champions League, reiterating his ambition to defend both titles. He revealed Jack Grealish will miss the midweek clash with Copenhagen with a muscle injury and it is not known how long he will be out. Bernardo Silva, meanwhile, is doubtful, while Mateo Kovacic and Sergio Gomez have returned to training.
Hong Duy
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