Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola confirmed both Rodri and Mateo Kovacic would miss their Premier League clash with Newcastle and spoke on the title race and the form of Arsenal Etihad Training Campus, Manchester, UK
00:02We'll take a show of hands for questions, please.
00:04We'll set embargo towards the end for 10pm this evening.
00:10Morning, Pep.
00:11Back in Premier League action at Newcastle,
00:14they maybe have underperformed a little bit this season,
00:17but do you still see this as a major test?
00:19Top team.
00:21I never see the table when we analyse opponents.
00:25Top, top team.
00:26I've been one of the toughest players in the last years
00:28and have been in good games.
00:31The atmosphere is a Champions League team.
00:33They're doing really well,
00:35but we're ready again for a new challenge.
00:39Can I ask you about Donnarumma?
00:42For these big away games in particular,
00:45does it give you confidence knowing that
00:47you've got someone of his calibre and experience behind you?
00:51We have an incredible two keepers,
00:54with Gigi and James.
00:56I'm really impressed with James Trafford,
00:59how the beloved since left in the academy here,
01:03how he grew up in the previous seasons,
01:06especially in Barley.
01:07With Scott, Vinnie and Scott Parker,
01:10and Gigi.
01:13You know, always I said,
01:14when you start with seven years old playing with Milan,
01:16AC Milan is because you are something special.
01:19So all the players are qualified for the World Cup
01:23and hopefully the last one, Gigi, can do it.
01:25With all respect for the opponents we have,
01:28North Ireland, Wales or Bosnia,
01:30hopefully then they can qualify.
01:32But does his experience in particular help in these particular games?
01:37Yeah, experience always.
01:41If you learn what happened in your life,
01:43you have more experience.
01:44But that doesn't mean you are going to do well.
01:46You know, I have a lot of players with incredible experience,
01:49with 30, 34, 35 and doing mistakes.
01:51So as much as you are ready for the game,
01:54you have to play that's enough.
01:56Hi Pep, how do you think Gianluigi has sort of adapted
02:01to the relentless nature and the physicality of the Premier League
02:05since he came in?
02:07Quite well.
02:08In terms of physicality,
02:09I don't know if he's someone more physical than him.
02:12So yeah, I adapt quite well.
02:15I think so.
02:16Need time.
02:17But yeah, I think the team,
02:20above well lately and help everyone to help the keepers
02:24and the keepers to strike us.
02:26And in terms of title races,
02:28you've been in many of them over the years.
02:30So you've experienced all kinds of different scenarios.
02:33How important are those little swings in momentum
02:37like the last fixture where you beat the champions
02:40and Arsenal slip up on the same weekend?
02:42Can those moments have a really big bearing
02:45over the course of the season?
02:46Well, the truth is the team as strong as Arsenal it is in the last season,
03:00not just this season,
03:01I guess are impeccable in many, many things.
03:04So the feeling that I had in the past when we fought incredibly against Liverpool,
03:10I had the feeling that we will not drop much points.
03:13And if they can take a lot of distance,
03:17it will be difficult to catch up with what seemed like Liverpool last season.
03:20And after that, you play.
03:22I had that moment of experience.
03:24And now we have in our careers
03:26and we take advantage for 9, 10, 12 points.
03:29You play that games more easier than nothing will happen if you drop points, no?
03:33And the other ones from behind have to put incredible pressure.
03:36And that's why with the distance is too big, it's more difficult.
03:39But at the same time, we are in November.
03:41And in November, in this league, nothing defined.
03:45So what happened in February, March, be careful.
03:49But now we start the season really, right?
03:52So there is two parts of the season,
03:54it's when the transfer window is over in summer
03:56and after when international break is over.
03:59And now international break is done.
04:00So now we'll be until March,
04:02see each other every three days, four days, three days for this game.
04:05So now it's a real, real, real season to start now.
04:09And the importance is to be there, to be close there.
04:12And after that, arrive at the end of the season
04:15with the chance that we can fight it.
04:16That is the target.
04:17And, of course, winning tomorrow will be an important step for us.
04:25Hi, Pep.
04:26Can I just ask what's the latest on Rodri
04:28and is there any other injury concerns for the weekend?
04:30Everybody's fit except Kova and Rodri.
04:34Rodri is making the steps good.
04:40So it's already almost three weeks since half the last little bit step back.
04:45And, yeah, we'll give – he knows that.
04:50He had to take the real time to recover fine,
04:53recover well mentally and especially physical in his problems that he had
04:57and to, you know, to be consistent until, you know, from now on until the end.
05:03Hi, Pep.
05:04The statistics show that your side have run more kilometres.
05:09Who?
05:10Manchester City have run more kilometres than any other Premier League side this season.
05:15What's that down to and does it show that the hard work is starting to pay off?
05:20I don't know if it's good, that.
05:21I don't know if it's good.
05:26Normally when we run less it's because the move runs more and we play better.
05:31But that is good.
05:32Last season was not the case.
05:33And you have a good spirit without the ball and, of course, we need that.
05:38That is good.
05:39So that means that people is focused, want to do it and make always an extra effort.
05:44And you have players with incredible physicality, especially Phil and a lot of people in the middle.
05:49That's good.
05:50And just on Bernardo, you had high praise for him after the Liverpool game, saying he's always there,
05:56he's always been there for you.
05:58Of all the great players that you've had in your career, where would you rank him and all these achieved?
06:05There.
06:06Top.
06:07High.
06:08One of the best.
06:10Yeah, in terms of many things, he can do everything.
06:13If not, he's not more profilic to score goals.
06:16I never have done.
06:17It's not the most, you know, in assets.
06:20Never have done.
06:21He gives us, he gives himself something that is, maybe it's not in the stats, maybe it's not in the data,
06:29but give you a lot, a lot of things that is incredibly valuable for the team, for winning games.
06:35His mentality and many, many things.
06:37So, absolutely one of the best players I've ever trained in my career.
06:42Pep, can I ask you about the international break?
06:46Did you get away?
06:48Did you get a break at all?
06:49You were excited for it?
06:51I was not here.
06:52Definitely not.
06:53I left.
06:54I left.
06:55Always I left.
06:56Yeah.
06:57You feel recharged?
06:58Always, yeah.
06:59And how about the players?
07:01Nico O'Reilly, obviously, has given himself a real chance of going to the World Cup with England, impressed again.
07:06What have you made of his development, particularly in that role?
07:09Because, as we know, when he came through the academy, he was a much more attacking player.
07:13I'm happy for him.
07:15Hopefully he can continue, be humble.
07:18Hopefully he cannot be confused.
07:20Normally, at that age, sometimes when you reach maybe the highest level,
07:25play with your country, with the national team, hopefully he can be stable.
07:30And an absolute delight, you know, for the academy, for all the people who work with him, for the academy, for Man City.
07:41The little, little boy, for all the managers, the scouts, and all the people who are involved in his development.
07:46Rich, you know, the national team, for me, is a big, big compliment for him.
07:51I don't know if you saw, Wayne Rooney picked his top three players of the Premier League so far.
07:57He went for Semenyo, Mbwemo, and Jokeresh.
08:01So, no Man City players, but I suppose no Erling Haaland either.
08:06I mean...
08:07You think he's right?
08:09Absolutely.
08:10It's your opinion, everybody.
08:11You would choose another one, right?
08:13I might choose Erling Haaland.
08:14You choose another one.
08:15Are you right?
08:16It doesn't matter at all.
08:18When you decide that, I'm fine.
08:21Come on.
08:22It's not a big issue, a big problem.
08:24On Erling, another four goals for Norway.
08:28They're going to the first World Cup since 1998.
08:31He's obviously on 99 goals.
08:34He can get a landmark again, become the fastest player to score 100 Premier League goals as well.
08:38I mean, I don't know what more we can say about him.
08:41But that dual focus he has for Norway and for Manchester City.
08:47There's a real hunger there, isn't there, this year?
08:50Yeah, it was incredible this season.
08:52You know, he broke all the records.
08:54He's breaking a lot of personal, individual records and Premier League records, I think, for Norway records.
08:59But happy for him, you know, for his national team.
09:04I heard yesterday that many, many of the squads for Norway not even were born when the last time Norway was in the World Cup.
09:14So I think for the country, it's incredible.
09:16And I've made an incredible qualification.
09:19Scoring a lot of goals, playing really good.
09:21And, you know, as a football player and his status as a football player, a world-class player, you know, deserves to play a World Cup and live the experience.
09:31And a perfect cage.
09:33He's mature and, yeah, so happy for him.
09:36Hi, Pep.
09:39You just said that the real season starts now because it's been stop and start because of the international breaks.
09:46Do you like the idea that might be in place from next season onwards of just having one bigger break instead of three small pauses in the beginning of the season?
09:59I don't know.
10:02For me, the breaks, for me, I would say personally, for me, the breaks, I like it, you know, take a break.
10:08So I love my job, but have a, you know, take a time to breathe like now is not going to happen.
10:14So it's good.
10:15And I don't know, maybe more and after a longer time to make it all be good too.
10:20We adapt in the World Cup, no?
10:22We in wintertime.
10:23So whatever they decide, the big brains in the world football, we'll do it.
10:29And on Newcastle, I would like to ask you about Bruno.
10:32I think he's having his best start so far in his career,
10:37both for Newcastle under Eddie Howe and the national team under Ancelotti.
10:41What makes him such a strong opponent, you think?
10:45It's not just this season.
10:46So for many years, since it was in Lyon, you start to realize that it was a special play.
10:54I think Newcastle make it incredible.
10:57He's an idol there.
10:58And so I think these players, when they play a lot, season by season,
11:03go to a national team, it's getting better and getting better.
11:06Yeah, I've always been a big fan of him.
11:11Certainly in Boga there for 10.30pm this evening.
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