Tag: Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has eased Manchester City’s fears that Rodri could be ruled out for the remainder of the Premier League season, but the Spain midfielder is set to miss Wednesday’s trip to Burnley.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner was instrumental to City’s critical 2-1 win over title rivals Arsenal on Sunday before being forced off late on with a groin problem.

Rodri, 29, is unlikely to feature as City aim to go top of the table for the first time this year at Turf Moor.

But City then have 12 days until their next league game at Everton as they face Southampton in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final.

“I think for tomorrow he will not be ready,” Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “We’ll see for next games, the semi-final against Southampton or against Everton.”

Rodri’s return to form after an injury-disrupted 18 months has played a major role in City’s surge back into the title race as he has formed a dominant midfield partnership alongside Bernardo Silva.

“Both are experienced, they have a huge special personality,” added Guardiola.

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“They are not young guys anymore, experienced guys, but played a lot of this type of games and know how it must be played. They were exceptional.”

Even if City win to condemn Burnley to relegation, they will still only be level on points with Arsenal with five games to go.

Momentum is with Guardiola’s men, but he is wary of a tougher run-in for his side, which includes visits to Everton and Bournemouth, who are both in the running to qualify for Europe next season.

“Both teams know we cannot lose or drop points,” said Guardiola, who is aiming to win a seventh league title in nine seasons.

“It will be difficult to recover and our calendar is so demanding. The opponents are really tough.”

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Pep Guardiola has remained tight-lipped over his future at Manchester City, refusing to clarify whether he will continue beyond the ongoing season amid increasing speculation surrounding his long-term plans.

Reports, including one from ESPN, suggest the City boss was expected to make a decision during the recent international break regarding his stay at the Etihad Stadium, where he is currently contracted until 2027.

While the club is keen for him to remain in charge next season, there is also an acceptance internally that the 55-year-old could opt to step away earlier than expected.

Addressing the media on Friday, Guardiola avoided offering any fresh insight into his situation.

“I spoke many times about that,” he said, offering a brief response when questioned directly about his future.

Despite the uncertainty, Guardiola’s immediate focus remains firmly on the pitch, with City preparing for a crucial FA Cup quarter-final clash against Liverpool.

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The upcoming encounter presents a significant test, even though Liverpool arrive with inconsistent form, having managed just two wins in their last six matches across all competitions.

They also face a demanding schedule, including a UEFA Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

However, Pep Guardiola was quick to dismiss any notion of complacency, highlighting Liverpool’s pedigree and long-standing rivalry with his side.

“They have been the biggest rival,” he said. “It is a team that made an incredible investment last season to compete at the highest level for many years. They are a top contender with top-class players.”

He further stressed the importance of maintaining high standards, referencing the City’s recent performances as a benchmark.

“Hopefully we can perform at the level that we did against Arsenal to reach the next step,” he added.

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Pep Guardiola knows Manchester City are not a “complete team”, but he is convinced they can still overhaul Arsenal in the Premier League title race.

Guardiola’s side suffered a damaging blow when they were held to a 2-2 draw by lowly Nottingham Forest in midweek.

Second-placed City are seven points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, although they have a game in hand and host the Gunners in April.

City have bounced back from disappointing results countless times during Guardiola’s glittering tenure.

The Spaniard expects them to do so again against Newcastle in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday, but he conceded his expensively rebuilt team are still a work in progress.

“Normally, we react well. We have the ability to forget quick. We are not a complete team to compete; that is the reality. We are in the process of many changes,” he said.

“But if we can learn quicker, still nothing is lost, we can arrive in the last month with the chances.

“But I’m pretty sure next season will be better. I don’t have doubts about that.”

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Guardiola’s reference to next season, the final year of his current contract, offers another indication he intends to remain at the Etihad Stadium.

There has been repeated speculation that he could leave this summer after a decade in charge, although he said in December that he wanted to stay.

The Newcastle tie doesn’t kick off until 2000 GMT, which is something Pep Guardiola has mixed feelings about.

It allows for extra recovery time after the Forest game, but shortens preparation for Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 first-leg trip to Real Madrid.

“Recovery is massively important. Rest, sleep, food, training, we know how to handle it,” he said.

“Of course, when we arrive early at home, it’s better than late for the recovery, but it is what it is.

“For here in England, it is more important what happens in the League Cup than Champions League games for English teams

“I don’t ask for anything, and if we have to play at 8pm, we’re going to play at 8pm.”

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Pep Guardiola said Manchester City are tasked with chasing down the best team in the world in Premier League leaders Arsenal as he launched a defiant defence of his players after a chastening week.

City were well beaten by local rivals Manchester United last weekend before suffering one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history away to Norway’s Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday.

Guardiola’s men are yet to win a league game in 2026, allowing Arsenal to open up a seven-point lead in the title race.

But the City boss backed his “extraordinary” group of players to respond as they remain in contention for silverware in four competitions.

“Absolutely, the best team right now in the world,” said Guardiola on the challenge of chasing down Arsenal, who have also won all seven of their Champions League matches.

“So look in the Champions League, in the Premier League, look in (the) FA Cup, in Carabao Cup – it’s the best team right now.

“Hopefully we can be close and getting better, getting better and have the chance to catch them.

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“I have an extraordinary team, an extraordinary group of players. And we are all together. We are a fantastic football team, I don’t have any doubts about that.”

City’s dip in form has coincided with the loss of key defenders Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol to injury.

The arrival of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace should mitigate their absence with the England international set to make his debut against Wolves on Saturday.

“It’s going to help us because the experience of Mark is exceptional,” added Guardiola.

“Considering the absence of central defenders it’s really good.”

Dias, Gvardiol and Nico Gonzalez remain sidelined for City, but Matheus Nunes could return after missing the last two games with a virus.

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Pep Guardiola says he cares more about how Manchester City “grow up” than winning trophies as he prepares his side for the first leg of their League Cup semi-final away to Newcastle on Tuesday.

City ended last season without a major trophy for the first time in eight years, though they did lift the Community Shield at the start of the campaign, beating Manchester United on penalties.

Guardiola, asked at his pre-match press conference on Monday if he felt extra pressure after missing out on the big prizes last season, insisted he was not focused on silverware.

“It’s not about winning or not winning trophies, it’s about how the team grows up, how the team is better,” the City manager said.

“Last season we didn’t deserve to win more than just one trophy, because we didn’t play good. So satisfaction to win a trophy when we are not playing good, can happen, you know, knockout stages, (you can be) lucky.

“It’s not about that. Believe me, it’s not about that. We are here to make the team play better, the satisfaction is to make a good performance for ourselves, our fans.”

Guardiola, who has rebuilt his squad over the past year following the departures of key players, said the point was to improve game by game.

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“That is the target, and all the time has been like that,” he explained. “And after, when you are in that process, and you fight for the title, you can win it.

“But after the title, big compliments, the day after, a little bit less compliments, two days after, three days, it’s forgotten. It’s another. So it’s the journey, it’s how you improve. That is what you have to do to live our profession.”

City won the League Cup for four seasons in a row from 2018, with the competition proving a launchpad for a decade of domination of English football under Guardiola.

Last season they were dethroned as Premier League champions by Liverpool and they trail leaders Arsenal by six points in the current campaign.

Chelsea host Arsenal in the first leg of the other League Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

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Pep Guardiola has reiterated his desire to stay on at Manchester City despite reports that former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has held talks about potentially taking over at the Etihad.

The long-serving City manager, 54, said last month he intended to see out his contract at City, which runs until the end of the 2026/27 season.

That followed speculation City had identified Maresca, a former assistant of Guardiola’s, as a possible successor to the Spaniard should he decide to step down at the end of this season.

Maresca has since parted company with Chelsea — leaving Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day. It is understood the Italian’s exit came after he informed the club he had held talks with City.

Guardiola, who will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his appointment this year, said: “The only (thing) I can say is that Chelsea, I think, from my point of view, lose an incredible, incredible manager, incredible person.

“But this (is a) decision from the hierarchy from Chelsea, so (I have) nothing to say.”

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Guardiola, who has won six Premier League titles with City, added: “I have a contract. I said a thousand million times. It’s 10 years here, I will leave one day but I have a contract. I’m happy. I want to fight with my team.

“The hierarchy respect me, that was proved last season with what happened in this club — we didn’t win one game in two, three months. They supported me.

“I have one more year’s contract. I like to be here, so we will see, you will see.”

Title-chasing City dropped two points in an entertaining 0-0 draw at Sunderland on Thursday, which left them four points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal at the halfway stage of the season.

Guardiola’s men host Chelsea on Sunday and the City boss admits he is not sure what to expect.

“We don’t talk much if we don’t know what the opponent’s going to be like because we don’t know which manager will be sitting (on the bench),” he said.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen so no concern (about that). Think about yourself, what you have to do. That’s going to help us in two tough games like Chelsea and Brighton.”

Chelsea said Friday that under-21s head coach Calum McFarlane would take interim charge of the team against City.

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said Monday he was uncertain when Spain midfielder Rodri will be fit enough to return to action.

Rodri missed much of last season with a knee injury and has appeared just once — and then only for a minute — in City’s last 10 games due to a hamstring problem.

The 29-year-old has been ruled out of Tuesday’s Premier League trip to Fulham and is doubtful for the home clash with Sunderland on Saturday.

“No, not yet,” said Guardiola, when asked at a press conference on Monday that lasted just a few minutes, if Rodri was available.

Asked if he could feature at the weekend, Guardiola said: “I don’t know.”

Guardiola also spoke about goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was booked for a fourth time in his short City career in the last-gasp 3-2 win over Leeds on Saturday.

Leeds manager Daniel Farke also accused Donnarumma of feigning injury to allow Guardiola to deliver a key team talk. The Italian is now just one yellow card away from a suspension.

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“Yes, he has a lot (of bookings), he has many,” said Guardiola. “It is what it is.”

Asked if he had spoken to Donnarumma about it, he said: “No.”

Guardiola was more willing to discuss the work of Fulham manager Marco Silva after their impressive 2-1 win away to Tottenham.

“Marco is many, many years there and always (when we) have been there — really, really tough games, difficult,” said Guardiola.

“The organisation is exceptional and every year I have the feeling that with the ball, they are better and better. Tough, tough opponent.

“I saw the games yesterday and today, against Chelsea, against Arsenal, last games against Sunderland.

“Always it’s so, so difficult for the opponents to break them up. It has always been like that in this beautiful stadium (Craven Cottage) in London.”

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Pep Guardiola accused his much-changed Manchester City team of “playing safe” in their surprise Champions League loss to Bayer Leverkusen in midweek.

The City manager paid the price for making 10 changes to his starting line-up as the German side won 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

Guardiola felt his players were too risk-averse as they slipped to a second successive defeat following last week’s Premier League reverse at Newcastle.

Referring to the Leverkusen defeat, he said: “We didn’t try. In football, when you play on the green, you have to try things, and we didn’t try.”

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He added: “I think they played not to make mistakes, not to play to do something, that is so difficult. In football, you have to play offense, and you have to try… they played to be safe.”

Pep Guardiola, whose team faces struggling Leeds on Saturday, suggested the players who started against Leverkusen had lacked confidence.

“I have a lot of confidence in them, still right now I have a lot,” he said. “I have a huge value in what they are as football players, and that maybe is higher than (they have) themselves.”

City are still without midfielder Rodri for the Leeds game, but Guardiola said the Spanish international would be back soon.

Guardiola’s men are third in the Premier League table, seven points behind leaders Arsenal.

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Pep Guardiola said he was “embarrassed and ashamed” of his behaviour after confronting a cameraman following Manchester City’s damaging 2-1 loss at Newcastle on Saturday.

The City manager reacted angrily after he was filmed close up following the final whistle, when he was involved in discussions with Newcastle player Bruno Guimaraes and match officials.

Pep Guardiola had been angered by the decision to award what proved to be Newcastle’s winning goal in the 70th minute at St James’ Park, with City believing goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had been fouled.

The City boss, speaking Monday at a press conference on the eve of his team’s Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen, said he had apologised for his behaviour.

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“I feel embarrassed and ashamed when I see it,” he said. “I don’t like it. I apologised to the cameraman after one second.

“I am who I am. Even after 1,000 games I’m not a perfect person. I made a huge mistake…. The reason why is I want to defend my team and my club.”

City’s fourth Premier League defeat of the season left them third in the table, seven points behind leaders Arsenal.

But Guardiola said the Newcastle reverse was “immediately forgotten” as he turned his attention to the Champions League.

City are fourth in the 36-team league phase after a strong start to their European campaign.

Midfielders Rodri and Mateo Kovacic are unavailable for Tuesday’s match against Leverkusen.

Guardiola said he did not have a timescale for Rodri’s return but it would not be long before he was back in action.

“We will wait a little more to be sure he is fine,” he said.

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said his side can ill afford a repeat of the “under-14s” defending that saw them thrashed 5-1 by Arsenal in February.

Guardiola’s men travel to the Emirates again on Sunday, already trailing the Gunners and defending champions Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

Man City lost two of their opening three games to Tottenham and Brighton., However, they have bounced back with comprehensive victories over Manchester United and in the Champions League over Napoli.

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The thrashing at the hands of his former protege, Mikel Arteta, was one of the low points in a miserable campaign for Guardiola.

City failed to win a trophy for the first time since 2017 and finished a distant third behind Liverpool and Arsenal.

“The game last season, we started like many times last season, like an under-14s team and gave away a thousand million goals,” said Guardiola when asked to reflect on his last visit to the Emirates.

“After we were, a lot of the time, pretty good considering how it was last season, but the last 15-20 minutes were a disaster.

“We forgot to do what we had to do, and it was easy for Arsenal. I want to compete to be a better team than we were last season.”

Both Liverpool and Arsenal massively outspent City in the transfer window in the battle for Premier League supremacy, and Guardiola took the opportunity for a dig at those who claim his six titles since arriving in England are due to the budget at his disposal.

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“The only thing I want to say to my friend Mikel Arteta is if he wins the title, it will be just because he spent money, not because he worked hard or because of his players,” Guardiola said sarcastically.

“It’s like Liverpool, too. If Arne (Slot) wins it again, it will be because he spent a lot of money, right? Because it’s not just Man City that (spend), right?”

Arteta left behind working as Guardiola’s assistant in 2019 and has slowly built Arsenal back into a force capable of competing for major trophies.

But he has still just won one piece of silverware, the 2020 FA Cup, after finishing second in the Premier League for the past three seasons.

“He found the club in a (certain) way and step-by-step, window by window, Arsenal is getting better,” added Guardiola.

“Last season in Europe, they made an incredible step forward, and they are, for me, the most solid team. They don’t make mistakes in the back.”

City begins the weekend three points behind Arsenal and six adrift of leaders Liverpool.

The challenge facing Guardiola’s side is heightened by the fact that they played their Champions League opener 48 hours after Arsenal, who won 2-0 at Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday.

Guardiola refused to be drawn into the scheduling debate but conceded it could be difficult for Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to start three games in eight days on his return from a major knee injury.

“With him in the pitch we feel more comfortable but, of course, after coming from a tough injury you have to be alert and we will decide on Sunday how he does feel.”

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