EPL

Manchester City thriving under ‘dead or alive’ title pressure – Pep Guardiola

By Sports Desk April 14, 2024

Pep Guardiola believes his Manchester City players are thriving under the pressure of the title run-in.

City enjoyed an outstanding weekend in their quest for a fourth successive Premier League crown as an emphatic victory over Luton, coupled with defeats for rivals Liverpool and Arsenal, put them top of the table.

Guardiola’s side are now not only clear favourites to retain their title but in a strong position to secure an unprecedented second treble in succession.

“They like to play the pressure,” said City manager Guardiola, speaking after Saturday’s 5-1 hammering of the Hatters. “They like it when you are dead or alive.

“That doesn’t mean we are going to do it but I am pretty sure we will be there until the end because I know them, I see their faces in the meetings before games and how they prepare.

“That means we’ll be Premier League champions? No, no. I am not saying that. But we will compete, that is for sure.”

City now head into two decisive knockout games against Real Madrid in the Champions League and Chelsea in the FA Cup over the coming week in good heart.

Real are the first up at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday for the second leg of a quarter-final tie that is evenly poised at 3-3 after a pulsating game in the Spanish capital last week.

Full-back Kyle Walker, who has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury sustained on international duty last month, could return after being an unused substitute against Luton.

Guardiola said: “He feels much better but he was injured, so now we will see in the next days. But he is good, he feels good.

“Maybe he can help with minutes because it is a ‘final’ but I don’t want to lose him for a long time if he gets injured. He will train a bit more now and we will decide.

“I know how important Kyle is against the players from Real Madrid but he was not in Madrid and Manu (Akanji), Josko (Gvardiol), John (Stones) and Ruben (Dias) played incredibly well. We will see.”

Fellow defender Stones should be fit despite being left out of the squad altogether on Saturday as a precaution.

Guardiola said: “He had some problems, some niggles, but he’s fine.

“He is not injured but he felt uncomfortable and we didn’t want to take risks. That is all.”

Related items

  • Postecoglou hails 'fantastic' youngster Moore after late Vissel Kobe winner Postecoglou hails 'fantastic' youngster Moore after late Vissel Kobe winner

    Ange Postecoglou saluted "fantastic" Mikey Moore, after the teenager struck a late winner in Tottenham's J-League World Challenge clash with Vissel Kobe.

    The 16-year-old was the hero with his 88th-minute strike sealing a 3-2 victory at the Japan National Stadium in what was Spurs' first match in their preseason tour of the Far East.

    Academy graduate Moore became Tottenham's youngest Premier League player when, aged 16 years and 277 days, he made his senior debut against Manchester City in the penultimate game of last season.

    And Postecoglou insists the England youth international, who has scored 10 goals in 12 appearances at under-17 level, is deserving of his first-team opportunities.

    "Mikey has been fantastic since we brought him in," he told reporters during his post-match press conference. "He's earned his spot on the roster at the moment; he did at the end of last year.

    "He got a run with the first team because we could see in training that he was handling himself really well, and that's followed through into pre-season training.

    "He's been good in all the games; he probably should have had three tonight, but he did take his goal well by being in the right areas.

    "All we can do is keep allowing him to develop. We have to remember that, last year, he had some injuries, and he is only 16.

    "I think the future with a lot of our young guys looks pretty promising, but it's our responsibility to make sure they realise their potential and continue to work hard at their game."

    Spurs made it three wins from three during preseason, following their 5-1 and 2-0 victories over Hearts and Queens Park Rangers respectively.

    "I thought it was a good game," Postecoglou added. "The conditions did make it difficult for both teams, and we've had a hard week of training.

    "Credit to the boys. I thought we played some decent football, and they put in as much effort as they humanly could out there.

    "You want to provide some sort of entertainment for the supporters who made a great turnout tonight, not just Spurs supporters, but football supporters in general. It's always nice to give back in that way and, overall, I was pleased."

  • Atletico and Sociedad reach agreement over Le Normand transfer Atletico and Sociedad reach agreement over Le Normand transfer

    Atletico Madrid have "reached an agreement" with Real Sociedad over the signing of Robin Le Normand.

    The Spain defender, who was part of the side that won Euro 2024, will finalise his move to Atleti "in the coming days" for a fee believed to be in the region of €34.5million.

    French-born Le Normand started his career with Brest before spending eight years with Txuri-Urdin, for whom he made 221 senior appearances across all competitions, while winning the 2019-20 Copa del Rey.

    The 27-year-old is fresh from international success in Germany, where he played in six of Spain's seven matches, while he also helped La Roja win the Nations League last year.

    A statement on Atletico's official website read: "Atletico and Sociedad have reached an agreement for the transfer of Le Normand. The deal will be finalised in the coming days when the player returns from his holiday.

    Meanwhile, Sociedad wrote on X: "We'll always remember his dedication and gratitude to the colours that have shaped him into the player he is today. Good luck."

  • Guardiola 'cannot imagine' Man City's Premier League success without Ederson Guardiola 'cannot imagine' Man City's Premier League success without Ederson

    Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City's Premier League dominance in recent seasons would not have been possible without Ederson.

    The Brazil goalkeeper's future at the Etihad Stadium is uncertain, amid speculation linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia.

    Ederson has been an integral figure for City since his arrival from Benfica in 2017, with 112 clean sheets in 250 Premier League appearances under Guardiola, while recording a save percentage of 68.17.

    The 30-year-old conceded just 26 goals last season as the Citizens won an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title - and their sixth since he joined the club.

    Ederson's distribution has also been crucial to City's success, notably completing 942 of his 1,097 passes last term (85.87%).

    "I wish from the bottom of my heart Eddie will continue with us," Guardiola said. "I would love him to stay.

     

    "I cannot imagine our processes succeeding these last seasons without him. He is an important figure in the locker room."

    Ederson could feature for City on Saturday when they continue their pre-season tour of the United States against Paulo Fonseca's Milan at the Yankee Stadium.

     

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.