Pep Guardiola has admitted that it won’t be easy for Manchester City to win a third successive Premier League title, but insisted failure to do so will not be down to a lack of commitment from his players.
Having not played in the Premier League for 56 days due to the World Cup break, City returned to league action on Wednesday away at Leeds United. Heading into the match the Blues found themselves eight points behind table toppers Arsenal following the Gunners’ Boxing Day win against West Ham and a point behind second-placed Newcastle, but secured a vital 3-1 win in west Yorkshire.
Ahead of the match at Elland Road, Guardiola insisted that he and his players are doing everything they can to retain their crown, but that despite there being over half a season still to play, the good form of other sides is making the task a tricky one.
” Listen, we want it, but when you see Arsenal, [Manchester] United in the struggle to be there, they have something special when they are there and we have to fight,” Guardiola told Amazon Prime Sport ahead of kick-off.
“You always have the feeling we have the time, but when you fight teams like that we don’t have time, so we immediately have to try to make a result otherwise it will be impossible. They [Arsenal] didn’t win [the Premier League] for a long time and sometimes this margin makes the difference, and we talk a lot about that, we have to try to do.
“It’s not about me doubting these players, how should I? I’m here with success thanks to them, I know they are able to do it so we know something is going to change and we will be there. When 90s Arsenal and United were there dominating, controlling the Premier League, who expected there would be a decade of them not winning a Premier League?
“It could happen to us. That is a warning I have to say, and if we are not going to do it we don’t have to change managers or players because this club right now, Manchester City, we want to be there as much as possible.”
