The elimination in the second round of the Champions in front of Real Madrid appeared to have left a man mortally wounded Manchester City who also saw the escape Premier after the unexpected draws against Nottingham Forest y West Ham. However, Guardiola He has managed to lift his team off the canvas and they are once again depending on themselves to win the title. One more season, in the middle of the final ‘rush’, old ghosts have awakened in the Arsenal.
“The future will be bright and next season we will return. We will learn from this. Sport is a challenge,” he noted after the crash at the Etihad against him Real Madrid and Pep Guardiola which conveyed the feeling of having given up when there were still two months of competition ahead to try to close the year in the best possible way.
A very different message to the optimism shown after the victory against the Chelsea. “The past was a one-off, but we are getting better. Now that we are no longer in the Champions Leaguewe have longer weeks. We are more rested, in training everyone knows exactly what they have to do,” he thanked Pep after a second part in which two geniuses of Cherki they unstuck the Manchester City.
Now that we are no longer in the Champions League, we have longer weeks.
Pep Guardiola, Manchester City manager
The outcome, of course, could be documentary. Right now, the Arsenal is leader of the Premier with six points advantage over a Manchester City who visit this day in the Etihad. In case of ‘cityzen’ victory, the distance would be reduced to three… and they still have the match against the Crystal Palace. If they also carry it forward, they would be equal in the table and we would have to take into account the goal difference which, at this moment, is just three goals for the Gunners.
The change of ‘chip’ occurred a few days after the elimination against the Real Madrid. With no time to recover, physically and mentally, City It was his turn to approach the final of the Carabao Cup before him Arsenal. A transcendental match, not so much for the fact of being able to win a title… but for the psychological blow that it could cause in the race for the title. Premier. “We are going to flourish. I have the feeling that we are close,” he warned. Pep.
Pep Guardiola and Mikel ArtetaEFE
He came Arsenal of a streak of 14 consecutive wins and, above all, with the thirst to end their drought when it comes to playing metal. However, Guardiola he won the tactical battle against his pupil Arteta to reduce the ‘gunners’ to the minimum expression and, with a double of Nico O’Reilly In a matter of minutes, he unleashed a blow that fell like a ‘bomb’ to raise doubts before the break.
“What can I say? Winning a title is always important. But this one was special because we came from two very hard weeks,” said one Pep Guardiola who recognized that “not even I would have bet a pound on victory today.” Upon returning from the break, they ran over the Liverpool to get into the semis FA Cup and they have knocked down Chelsea to depend on themselves again in Premier after the defeat against Bournemouth by a Arsenal to which he Southampton was uploaded in Copa.
Winning a title is always important. But this was special because we were coming from two very hard weeks.
Pep Guardiola, Manchester City coach
“It has to hurt. You have to accept it and get up. Either you stand up and go to the fight, or you’re out. This level demands this right now,” harangued one Mikel Arteta aware that Arsenal have the same defeats (three) in the last four games as in the previous 49. He CityMeanwhile, he enters his favorite moment: under the orders of Pepaverages 2.51 points in Premier in April. More than any other team that has played at least 15 games with the same coach.
It is a film that, in fact, we have already seen and, for now, the outcome has always been the same. In 22-23, the Arsenal They arrived as the leader with a one-point advantage on matchday 32 and they barely added 10/21 in the last seven dates… for 16/21 of the City. The following year, they also got a point ahead of them and posted a solid 18/21. Insufficient, however, to counteract the fullness of the ‘cityzen’ group, which feels like a fish in water acting as a pursuer.
Far from tactics or adjustments, Guardiola attributes this ‘high’ to a curious reason. “The sun. I’m not kidding. If there was sun in November, we would be champions in January. It changes our mood.” Now, in addition, he has a week free of commitments to prepare for the visit of the Arsenal al Etihad in a duel called to decide the Premier. Arteta, meanwhile, will have to combine it with the return of Champions before him Sporting CP in a more open tie than it seems.
PepYes, he maintains a reverential respect. “They have been the best team in the country and Europa until today. Beating them again will be very difficult. I would like to tell the fans to respect them a lot.” A message full of intention to continue transferring the pressure to a Arsenal completely blocked that he is not knowing how to handle the situation… while looking at the Manchester City get up from the canvas ready to snatch the Premier one more time.
