Guardiola’s demand for perfection fuels Manchester City’s hunger

MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s insatiable thirst for trophies spells bad news for a club hoping to break the grip that Josep Guardiola’s side continue to have on English football.

Arsenal came very close this season, but the sight of Guardiola’s players frolicking with the Premier League trophy was a lasting image on the final day.

City’s 3-1 win over West Ham United on Sunday took them to a place not occupied by the great Liverpool teams of the 1980s or even the Manchester United teams of the late 1990s and 2000s.

Winning the English league four times in a row is unprecedented, and the big question is who will stop City’s march.

They have averaged 89.7 points in their last four title-winning seasons, and while Guardiola’s side were unable to threaten again the 100-goal mark they racked up in 2017-2018, City are good when under real pressure. It proved to be almost impregnable.

Arsenal and Liverpool led City in the table for the final months of the season, but the champions have now won an impressive 19 games and drawn four since their last league defeat to Aston Villa on December 6. left behind.

At 53, Guardiola City has a manager obsessed with perfection, so no one was really surprised.

City’s Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland said of playing under Guardiola: “Sometimes it’s a little tough. It’s tough, but look at what he’s done. He does a lot every day. “I’m asking for that,” he said. “If you don’t meet his expectations, there’s going to be a big problem.”

The Spaniard has won six Premier League titles in eight seasons at the Etihad Stadium, and perhaps the only glimmer of hope is that he may decide to follow Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s exit. That’s probably true.

“In reality, I’m closer to leaving than staying. I’ve talked to the club, but right now my feeling is that I want to stay. I plan to stay next season and we’ll talk about it during the season.” Barcelona coach said. . “But we’ll see what happens in eight or nine years.”

Incredibly, City have played 152 Premier League games over the past four seasons, winning 112 and losing 17 and scoring 372 goals.

It is regarded as the toughest league in Europe, with huge broadcast contracts meaning all 20 clubs have the financial power to sign the world’s best talent.

“Posep Guardiola designed a style of football that is imitated not only in this country but across Europe,” former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville told Sky Sports.

“Above all, he is a winning machine and instills that in everyone who works with him.”

City’s Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who has now won six Premier League titles with City’s 23-year-old Phil Foden, has explained that the secret was very simple.

“The coach sets the tone, but this team enjoys playing with each other. We’re not a team with big egos,” he said.

“We play around with each other and run like crazy and just have fun doing it. The fun lasts, so that’s it.”

With next Saturday’s FA Cup final against Manchester United still in the air, things could get even better for City, who will look to secure another trophy and secure a double after last year’s treble. You won’t be able to relax.

Did you like what you read in this article?