The manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, has stressed that the club is not only focused on winning the UEFA Champions League contrary to speculation.
Since Leeds United defeated Manchester City on Saturday, April 10, there has been increased speculation that Pep Guardiola is being complacent in the fight for the Premier League title.
In the game, the coach of Manchester City benched most of his regular players including Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, İlkay Gündoğan, Riyad Mahrez, and other stars who could have changed the game for Manchester City.
In the absence of the game changers, Leeds United stunned Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium with two goals. The most stunning part of the game was that Leeds United were able to beat Manchester City with a man short.
Stuart Dallas made it two for Leeds United in the 42nd minute. Before the end of the first half, Leeds United’s defender, Liam Cooper was shown red which ought to be an advantage for Manchester City.
In the second half, Manchester City successfully returned into the game with Ferran Torres’ 76th-minute strike. However, Leeds United stunned the table-toppers in the last minute of the game, thanks to Dallas’ second strike.
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Though the defeat didn’t change the fact that Manchester City are topping the league table with a whopping 74 points in 32 games, 11 points above second-placed Manchester City, fans of the club were not happy with the stunning defeat.
Guardiola said: “Listen, I made changes but maybe I will play the same team in Dortmund.
“I’ve said many times they play because I want to let them play, not because I reserve these players. I demand (of) every team I send out that they win. I don’t select competitions.
“I select every team to win a specific game. If not, it would not be possible to arrive in the position that we we are in the Premier League and the other competitions…
“I decided on the selection and, with 29 games and 27 won, the rotation was exceptional, wasn’t it? Now it (seems to be) a problem as (people) ask.
“It can be possible, but when you win the reason why can be the selection, and when you lose the reason why can be not the selection.
“But I don’t know. If you can tell me that if the others played, and assure me 100 percent that we’d have won, then you would be a perfect manager.
“I don’t know if I’d made another selection what would have happened.”
Manchester City are yet to win the UEFA Champions League in the history of the club and the owners of the club have been investing heavily to achieve the feat soonest.
The ongoing 2020-2021 season is seen as the surest year for Pep Guardiola to help Manchester City win the Champions League. They are currently in the quarter-final stage of the competition.
They beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the first leg of the quarter-final stage of the competition and they will travel to play the German club on Wednesday, April 20, at 20:00. If Manchester City beat or draw against Dortmund, the Premier League will scale through to the semi-final stage of the competition for the first time under Pep Guardiola’s reign.
