Pep Guardiola explains why he won’t back Manchester United against Arsenal.
On Sunday, Manchester City can cut the deficit to two points from Arsenal, but Pep Guardiola remains concerned about the size of the gap between the teams.
Pep Guardiola will not be supporting Manchester United against Arsenal this weekend because, in his opinion, Manchester City are still far behind the Gunners, even if they can close the gap to the leaders by two points on Sunday.
Thursday’s comeback victory over Tottenham reduced the distance between City and Arsenal to five points; on Sunday, if City defeats Wolves at 2 p.m. before Arsenal plays United later in the day, the gap could be further reduced to two points. But by the time that match at the Emirates begins, City will have played two more matches than Mikel Arteta’s team.
Thursday night, after his team overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat Spurs, Guardiola didn’t hold back in criticizing the entire club for their complacency and lack of desire to pursue a third consecutive Premier League championship. Therefore, regardless of the outcomes from the previous weekend, the manager was still more focused on those problems than the make-up of the Premier League table.
That isn’t the point. When asked if he would be hoping for a United victory on Sunday, he insisted, “It’s not about that.
“They lost to United? If we play like this, we won’t catch them.”. We must alter, and if Arsenal persists for an extended period of time, we must congratulate them. Not three or four points are at issue. We’re going to collapse sooner or later. “.
Guardiola also rejected the notion that City has a title advantage because they are accustomed to chasing down significant leads like they are now.
He replied, listing the characteristics he believes Arsenal’s team possesses that City do not: “It’s the past. Look at your current situation. They have everything: set pieces, defensive structures, ten players in the box defense, five or six in the back, smooth transitions, and the ability to win duels. How they interact with one another, how they talk, how they oomph, and how they celebrate their accomplishments. Football and tactics are this. We lack it at the moment. “.
When asked if he regretted selling Aleks Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal, two players who had crucial roles for Arteta’s team while City had particular difficulties at left-back, Guardiola responded with the same level of defiance.
He replied, “No. You cannot stay when you want to leave and don’t want to stay. Gabriel and Aleks, two wonderful people who greatly aided us, have my best wishes. That is not the issue. [Their choice] is undoubtedly. I never say a player should leave. The club is responsible for decisions.
“Of course Erling [Haaland] came so it was hard for Gabriel but it’s normal, Julian [Alvarez] maybe. It’s common. It was a good deal, and I always have high praise and gratitude for what players like Raheem Sterling, Aleks, and Gabriel have done for us. Following, it is a wise transfer for the team.
Since Aleks and the others are not here, we should not be in this situation. They are strong, but my point goes beyond these kinds of things. “.
