The manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola has insisted that the defeat his club suffered at the hands of Chelsea would have no bearing on this season’s UEFA Champions League final.
Recall that Thomas Tuchel who became the coach of Chelsea in January this season has defeated Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City twice within three weeks.
The German tactician first defeated the Spanish coach this season on April 17 in the semi-final of the FA Cup. The 1-0 victory over City ended Pep Guardiola’s hope of winning four titles this season. Recall that the Spanish coach has already won the Carabao Cup and he is on the verge of winning the Premier League and the Champions League.
Despite the smooth ride Pep Guardiola has been enjoying in all the competitions Manchester City have been involved in this season, Tuchel has continued to be the problem of the Spanish coach.
He and Tuchel met for the second time this season on May 8 in the Premier League. Manchester City were expected to win the game to be confirmed champions of the Premier League, but the German coach stunned Guardiola for the second time in a row with a 2-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium.
The defeat delayed the confirmation of Manchester City as the Premier League champions and they will have to wait until they beat Newcastle United on May 14. However, if Liverpool beat second-placed Manchester United on May 13, Manchester City would be confirmed Premier League champions for the third time in four years.
Aside from all these calculations, Pep Guardiola is confident that on May 29 when Manchester City face Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea for the third time this season, the world would see a better version of the club.
“I’m pretty sure for the final of the Champions League we’ll be ready to compete and play the best game we possibly can,” Guardiola said.
“Now the FA Cup and Carabao Cup are over, we have to focus on winning the Premier League. We still have to get the points – when we get the points, we will be champions.
“Until then, the champions are Liverpool. Still, we are not. Since one or two months ago, people said it was already done. No, we still had to go to Leicester and win away, Aston Villa and win away, Crystal Palace and win away, so you have to do what you have to do, and we did it.
“So we have the position that we have and we’re going to try, in the next three games that we have, to win the Premier League and after it depends on the day it happens, we’re going to prepare for the Champions League final.”
On winning the Premier League title, Pep Guardiola insisted that it is not over yet despite leading the league table with 80 points in 35 games, 10 points above second-placed Manchester United.
“It’s still not over, you have to win the games and we’re going to try to do it in the next game against Newcastle”, he added. “If this is pressure to win the title, this is the pressure I want, and we need this type of pressure to be a top side, a top squad.
“[Against Chelsea] we did our best to win, we had the chances, unfortunately, it could not be possible for different reasons, and we’re going to prepare now, mentally, with one or two days off and after we’re going to focus, analyze Newcastle and try to win the game.”
Big tackle, @KurtZouma! 💪 pic.twitter.com/g6hJbfL4a6
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 10, 2021
