Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiola, spent a few hours talking about how similar this season has been to previous ones ahead of City’s clash with Aston Villa. He reiterated that the Premier League title is the most difficult trophy to win while emphasizing that this does not reduce the club’s pain in Europe.
Guardiola explained why, in his opinion, more onlookers expect Liverpool to win the Premier League, arguing that City are still newcomers to the elite and that only more history can change that.
City do not want a recurrence of the antics that led to their first modern-day triumph, which happened in the 2011-2012 season against Queens Park Rangers.
City have been preparing for Aston Villa to arrive at the Etihad Stadium and cause an upset in the same way that QPR did before Sergio Aguero etched his name into mythology.
“We discussed it,” Guardiola said. “Perhaps we will have to endure something unpleasant, but what can you do? React as positively as possible, and don’t give up.
This weekend has arrived just as Guardiola and Klopp have expected for months. City and Liverpool have reached the final day of an epic battle. Since that 2-2 draw in Manchester last month, they have shed four points between them. Since early November, they have suffered two defeats.
Liverpool, like Manchester United in 2012, requires a favor from a side in the bottom half of the table. Mark Hughes, the manager of QPR at the time, had unfinished business with City. Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has a list of goals he would gladly settle for Liverpool, who might be finishing the greatest season in history next weekend.
“We are up against the best opponent in the world, which is a shame,” Klopp remarked.
“Imagine being told before the season that ‘you’ll be in all three cup finals and wanting to compete for the league title.’ Well, good luck with that, you’d say. It’s not feasible, yet the guys achieved it, with the help of the people in the building and our sponsors. It’s an exciting time to be a Liverpool fan.
While Liverpool have scheduled a celebration for May 29 no matter what, Guardiola is aiming for a fourth title in five seasons, a goal only Sir Alex Ferguson and Bob Paisley have ever accomplished. Ferguson’s greatest streak was five titles in a row.
So when Guardiola says there isn’t much of a shift in attitude from year to year, he’s presenting a formula that doesn’t require major tweaks if City make a mistake. “We’ll be delighted the next day if we win, but my suggestion is to try to be happy just playing football because it is more important than winning titles,” Pep Guardiola said.
“After two or three days, you feel alone. Is that it? Was it really worth it? It’s fine to have it on your CV, but nothing more. It’s incredible, and then you have to defend your title for a year. Someone needs to get us out of here. Liverpool will keep an eye on Gerrard’s crosshairs to see if they remain stable.”
