Ahead of the highly-anticipated derby on Sunday (Mar 3), Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has commented that his team’s era of dominance will not last forever, akin to rivals Manchester United and Liverpool who dominated English football in different periods.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Guardiola was responding to recent statements made by United’s new owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who suggested his team would knock City off their perch soon.
“The 80s was Liverpool, 90s United and now we have won seven Premier Leagues in the last 11 or 12 years. But in 50 or 60 years, there has never been one country where one team always dominates and controls everything. We will try in this organisation to extend this as much as possible for many years,” said Guardiola.
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“Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his people know the diagnosis of their club. I don’t know anything about that club. If they said they need two or three years to be there, who am I to say the opposite?” the Spanish manager added.
Keep calm: Guardiola’s mantra
Reflecting on the derby to be played at the Etihad, the treble-winning manager said it was al about keeping calm and executing the tactics.
“What I learn from my experience in these types of games is to be more calm, relax, don’t talk about many things. Just focus on tactics and what you have to do to beat them, not about emotions – because emotions will be there, without doubt,” said Guardiola.
City currently sit on second spot in the points table, four points behind Liverpool. If Guardiola’s men manage to overcome the United challenge on Sunday, next week’s encounter at Anfield might become the title-decider.
City will be gunning to become the first English team in history to win the top-flight division four times in a row while Liverpool would hope to give their manager Jurgen Klopp a fitting farewell in his final season.
Meanwhile, United will be hoping to push for the UCL spot as they trail the fourth spot by 11 points.
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