Pep Guardiola believes his Manchester City team will face stiff competition as they prepare to defend their Premier League title.
‘My feeling,’ says Pep Guardiola when asked about Liverpool’s title chances.
The Sky Blues won their third consecutive Premier League title last season, eventually defeating second-placed Arsenal by five points, and are heavy favourites to repeat.
Liverpool will be hoping to be in the conversation following a disappointing drop-off last season, but will have to compete with a much-improved Arsenal, a new-look Chelsea, and a revived Manchester United.
Guardiola has long claimed that Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have been the most difficult test of his coaching career, but it remains to be seen whether this is a pattern that will continue in the future.
City have a chance to win their first trophy in the Community Shield on Sunday against Arsenal, who will like their prospects of becoming the Premier League’s biggest challenge to the defending champions in 2023/24.
“Arsenal, with Arsene Wenger, instilled the club in that position, and I’m very happy that he got a statue at the Emirates Stadium,” Guardiola said when asked if he feels the Gunners have supplanted Liverpool as City’s main concern. He had a huge impact on English football and changed many things. The culture he introduced in recent years has faded, and Mikel has restored Arsenal to the position it once held.
“Everybody knows that, when the season starts I say the same thing: that is my feeling. There is not one or two, there are a lot of teams that are going to fight for everything and the challenge is massive for us. How we can grow as a team mentally and football-wise to sustain that level, it is almost impossible.
‘My feeling,’ says Pep Guardiola when asked about Liverpool’s title chances.
“You can’t do it any more than we want, but that’s the challenge.” How hungry we are, how much determination we have to protect what we have gained, and we will see what we have to be during the eleven-month period, amid the worst points.”
During the same press conference, Guardiola confirmed that the RB Leipzig defender is on the verge of joining the Citizens in a £77.5 million move. Such news comes as a setback to the Reds, who are actively looking for players at centre-back and have now lost out to a rival on a player with a lot of potential.
“Regarding Gvardiol – what a beautiful surname he has – he’s doing a medical test,” revealed the Catalan coach. “Everybody knows he’s here, and hopefully we can finish the deal in the next hours, the next days.”
