LEICESTER, England (AP) – Despite celebrating his 500th match in charge of Manchester City with an essential win, Pep Guardiola claimed his squad has “no chance” of securing a fifth consecutive Premier League title.
Guardiola appeared noticeably relieved after City concluded a five-match winless streak across all competitions by defeating Leicester 2-0 on Sunday, marking just their second triumph in 14 games following the toughest phase of results in the Spanish manager’s esteemed career.
The victory still left City 14 points trailing Liverpool after the leaders overwhelmed West Ham 5-0 on the road, with Arne Slot’s squad also holding a game in reserve. Following an unmatched run of four consecutive Premier League titles, Guardiola has dismissed his team’s prospects even before January arrives.
“We are quite a distance from securing the Premier League title.” “We acknowledge that there’s no possibility of that happening, but we have other battles to pursue,” Guardiola stated.
For City, merely winning a match has become a struggle these days.
A squad that previously dominated teams such as relegation-threatened Leicester by three or four goals struggled throughout much of the match, despite Savinho scoring first in the 21st minute, while the home side squandered several opportunities to level the score before Erling Haaland nodded in City’s second goal in the 74th minute.
Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola acknowledges supporters following the English Premier League football game between Leicester City and Manchester City at King Power Stadium in Leicester, England, on Sunday, December 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
“Simply relief, that’s how we all feel,” Guardiola stated. “It wasn’t the perfect performance, but hopefully the wins will improve our spirits.” “Let’s hope that in the coming year we can recover somewhat from a tough time.”
For the first time in a long while, Guardiola wore a sincere smile as he stepped onto the pitch after the final whistle to embrace his players and acknowledge the fans after reaching 362 victories in his 500 matches – along with 18 titles.
“The players have provided me with a nice gift today, marking 500 games in this way,” he stated.
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