One Down, Two To Go: Man City Are Premiership Champs!
Despite winning a third successive title with Manchester City, Manager Pep Guardiola said it is important for the Cityzens to win the Champions League to achieve true greatness.
In underlining the achievement of three titles in a row, Guardiola insists that City will only be ‘complete’ if they win Europe’s elite clubs’ title, saying however it was unfair that his side will only be hailed as one of the greatest teams ever if they win the Champions League.
The Catalan hoisted his fifth crown in seven seasons with City after their 1-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday. They were crowned champions before their 1-0 win against Chelsea on Sunday with Arsenal beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest the previous day.
Interestingly, they are looking to get their hands on two more trophies, with the FA Cup final against Manchester United and the Champions League final against Inter Milan coming up.
“The feeling I have is five Premier Leagues and still have the Champions League final. We won a lot but can’t deny that it can be unfair to have to win the Champions League to give value to what you’ve done,” the City coach told a press conference.
“I know we will not be complete if we do not win the Champions League and sometimes playing with expression is so nice. If we are not able to do it, sooner or later we will, we are there so we have to try.”
Guardiola also paid tribute to title rivals Arsenal for making his team even more relentless, calling Mikel Arteta’s side “winners”. The Gunners took 50 points in the first half of the season but City came into their own after drawing 1-1 at Nottingham Forest in February, winning their next 12 games.
“With the relationship I have with Mikel, congrats for what they’ve done, he’s brought them back to what Arsenal was in the past. It was a similar battle to Liverpool in previous seasons, they took us to our limits, our run of 12 games – after 50 points in the first leg [half of the season] they dropped some points and we were there. We were there and they felt it,” Guardiola added.
“It’s a tendency to underestimate them, they are winners, we pushed them but they did exceptionally. I’d be proud of them, where they’ve come from.
“They have to sustain it. but they are winners, they made me think a lot about what we had to do to beat them. Our relentlessness and refusal to give up, having to win each game knowing it would not be possible if we don’t.”
Seven of the clubs in this season’s Premier League are yet even to win three games in a row. But City have just won three titles in a row and the most remarkable thing is they barely seem bothered about it, as if this is simply natural, like water being water, like the car starting when you turn the key in the ignition.
Next on the line for the Cityzens is a match against Brighton on Wednesday and then visit Brentford in their last Premier League match of the season before they get ready for the finals. – With agency reports
