Pep Guardiola has suggested that Manchester City’s success throughout his reign at the club has been fuelled by the rest of the Premier League disliking his team.
Guardiola became City manager in July 2016. He finished third in his first season but City have since been champions six time in the last seven campaigns.
City’s success on the pitch has been facilitated by some heavy spending of it and the club are currently in court defending themselves against 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.
Simultaneously, City have been battling Arsenal for the Premier League title over the past two and a bit seasons.
City came out on top in 2022-23 and again in 2023-24. Guardiola’s men faced the Gunners for the first time this season last weekend in what turned out to be an explosive 2-2 draw. Star midfielder Rodri suffered a season-ending ACL injury during that game.
Pep Guardiola pictured speaking to TNT Sports ahead of Man City’s away game at Newcastle
The topic of Rodri’s injury came up, with the City midfielder set to miss the rest of the season
Ahead of this weekend’s away match at Newcastle, Guardiola spoke to TNT Sports reporter Becky Ives.
The City boss was first asked if he believed, with Rodri out injured for the rest of the season, that Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic would become his first-choice pairing in defensive midfield.
His reply was short. He said: ‘I don’t know. Today, yes. But tomorrow I don’t know. It depends on what’s going on.’
Asked if his team could rise and rally in Rodri’s absence, Guardiola responded: ‘We have to. That’s why when you use the word ‘team’ it means that. We have to do it as a team.’
Ives asked a third question about Rodri, to which Guardiola admitted he and the City players were ‘sad’ about the Spanish midfielder’s injury.
But it was Ives’ final question of the interview that drew the most interesting response from Guardiola.Â
Man City manager Guardiola was being interviewed by TNT Sports reporter Becky Ives
Guardiola looked unimpressed by one of the questions put to him during the pre-match chat
Ives pointed out that the word ‘war’ had been used in the media in recent days to described City’s rivalry with Arsenal. She then asked Guardiola if there was a ‘siege mentality’ in his dressing room right now and whether it felt like ‘Man City against the Premier League, the rest of the teams’?
Guardiola responded with his face before saying a word. He looked slightly unimpressed and his eyebrows said plenty before he eventually replied softly with the message: ‘We have done it seven years.’Â
Ives followed up: ‘So this is nothing new for you?’
Guardiola continued with a smirk before shaking his head: ‘Come on. Otherwise we wouldn’t have what we’ve achieved. Absolutely not.’