Pep Guardiola wants Manchester City to continue their one-game-at-a-time approach, even if they have won the Premier League, to boost their chances of winning more silverware.
Pep Guardiola said: “I don’t know. Sometimes when you are fighting for the Premier League you are incredibly focused for the other competitions. Sometimes you drop a little bit and after is more difficult. I said to the guys lately, the only way to arrive in the best moments in the competitions, the cups, the Premier League, is to be focused all the time. So this is what we have to do. Sometimes is good, sometimes is bad, the theories in football is always it’s done after the success of going well. We can say everything is perfect and City’s good but it’s good because we win but doing the same we can lose. That is the most important thing we have to learn. Everything people say is going to happen, normally doesn’t happen. We are in a good moment, incredible results, make a lot of points. 15 in a row in the Premier League is incredible. Next one and try to extend this run. After we arrive at Everton in the FA Cup, second leg in the Champions League, next game. It works so good when you focus on the next game.”
Guardiola was also asked whether this season will be regarded as an equally impressive achievement as the Centurions season in 2017/18 or the ‘Fourmidables’ of 2018/19. Once again, though, Guardiola insisted City must win the title and any more trophies on offer before comparisons are made.
Pep Guardiola said: “Today in the world, everyone struggles, it’s more difficult to do what we want to do in every job. It’s different, we were incredibly consistent. I said many times to the players what we have done is incredible but that makes credit when we win the titles. We can be in good moments but at the end you have to lift it. I said last game, today the champions are Liverpool who defend the title. We are in an incredible position because every week we extend our lead to our runners up. It was ten points, then 12, now it’s 14. That is good, we increase because we are not losing games. When we play good, we win, when we struggle like against West Ham we win. This is magnificent. At the end, the adjectives, the way the world will judge our performances depend on you [journalists]. We will do our job then see what happens. The last three months was incredibly nice, the way we compete, the environment in the club, the friendship is amazing. This is important, we will continue. We will drop points but I’m pretty sure the players will make a step forward to do it again. Wolves, one shot on target one goal, in knockout games in the cup, in the Champions League, you will be out. Always you have to be the warnings, be careful, feet on the grass, move forward.”
Ahead of the derby, Guardiola was asked if it would be beneficial to wrap up the title as soon as possible in order to concentrate on City’s Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup efforts.
