- 7 hours ago
Guardiola on City's Carabao Cup final against Arsenal and on Arteta's dark arts
20/03/2026
CFGA, Manchester, UK
20/03/2026
CFGA, Manchester, UK
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00We'll set the embargo part way through for 10.30pm on Saturday evening.
00:04Please just be mindful, it's a Sunday embargo.
00:06We'll start with Mark, thank you.
00:09Hi Pep, you've spoken lots this season about the inexperience in your squad.
00:15Quite a few of them are yet to taste winning a trophy with Manchester City,
00:18so I just wonder psychologically what it would do for them
00:21if they could beat Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday.
00:26Today in modern football we have a lot of games, a lot of competitions,
00:29mix during the weeks and everything psychologically has to be prepared
00:34in the good moments, continue in the bad moments, forget it and go to the next one.
00:38Always learning in the good and the bad moments, in the victories and defeats.
00:42And of course opportunities, the 22 times we go to Wembley,
00:46in semi-finals, finals in 10 years, so it's not bad enough.
00:49Being there is an honour and a big challenge.
00:53Yeah, you've managed against a lot of different Arsenal teams
00:57during your time in charge here, and you've spoken a lot about your respect for Mikel.
01:02What has impressed you most about the way that Arsenal have evolved under him?
01:07Well, they control many, many things, many aspects of the game.
01:12The spirit for many years now winning, make that boost,
01:16and you see a solidarity in all aspects, and take a control when they defend deep,
01:24when they hide the build-ups, and long balls, second balls, and backwards.
01:30So many, many good things, alternative, fluidity in his build-up.
01:35It's not a pattern, so that's a consistent pattern,
01:40so they are more, yeah, I said 3D team, so yeah, really,
01:46so Champions League won all the games in the group stage,
01:49and just draw the last one, the previous in Leverkusen,
01:55and the Premier League lost a few games, so exceptional team.
02:00So big challenge for us to see how is our level.
02:03And kind of just ask about the goalkeeper as well,
02:05will James Trafford play on Sunday?
02:07Yeah.
02:08And how big a moment is that for him?
02:10For the team.
02:12For the team it's a big moment.
02:15Just to follow on there, James said a few weeks ago
02:18that he was a little bit disappointed,
02:21or he hadn't been expecting things to work out how they have done.
02:25What did you think of those comments?
02:27Good.
02:28Nothing to say.
02:30Police can be happy and happy.
02:33It's what it is.
02:34So they have to be here, do the best that they do,
02:38and after we see what happens at the end of the season.
02:41So the important is that they have to be ready.
02:45Have you been pleased with James' attitude this season?
02:48Sorry?
02:49Have you been pleased with James' attitude since he...
02:51Beyond, yeah.
03:01Hi, Pep.
03:04Just on the final, I mean, Erling Haaland,
03:07back in the goals last game,
03:09obviously not the result you wanted.
03:10I saw he's invested in chess, actually.
03:12How focused is he for this game,
03:14and how much are you hoping to see him back to his best, if you like?
03:18I'm pretty sure he's focused, like all of us.
03:21So I didn't speak with him.
03:25We had two days off, but I'm pretty sure he's ready.
03:30And Anton Semenya, a huge moment for him, potentially, as well.
03:33He's worked his way up through the divisions,
03:36non-league all the way to Wembley for the first time.
03:38That could be a huge moment for him, too.
03:40As I said with James, for all of us.
03:43So to reach the finals, no matter the competitions,
03:45it's always really, really tough.
03:48We see the level in Europe, and here, in other leagues, and any competition.
03:54And being there, you have to have the flavor that is a big opportunity,
03:59because you never know when it's going to happen again.
04:01So that's why we have to do it.
04:04And just away from the final,
04:06I'm sure you've seen what happened with the decision around the Africa Cup of Nations this week.
04:11You've managed some huge African names.
04:13Your assistant manager, of course, as well, Kolo, is a huge name on Ivory Coast.
04:17What do you kind of make of what's happening there?
04:19It's not a great look for football, is it?
04:22Well, I'm just surprised.
04:23I don't have a proper opinion, because I don't know the reason why.
04:26I didn't read.
04:26I didn't see.
04:27So I don't know.
04:28But it looks like what happened today.
04:30Today, the decision is we make it behind the scenes.
04:34So it will happen in everywhere.
04:36So what we see, it doesn't happen.
04:39It always happens behind the scenes, and you don't see the faces.
04:42So that is what happened lately in football and all around the world in other subjects.
04:48Hopap, you've had the situation in the past where you've been in all four competitions
04:53towards the end of the season.
04:55Now Arsenal are.
04:56I mean, when it was you, you always said the quadruple was almost impossible
05:00or, you know, very, very difficult.
05:03Is it possible now for Arsenal?
05:05Well, for them, yeah, because they are four titles, yeah.
05:09And is, you know, how difficult is it to actually get that,
05:14to get from sort of being in this stage with a couple of months to go in the season
05:17to actually doing it?
05:18I mean, you've won a treble, so you've come closer than anyone else.
05:23Well, in quadruple as well.
05:25Domestic.
05:26I know it's not the prestigious, like you pretend, but always we did it.
05:30So we just nothing much.
05:31It's go game by game.
05:33And when the mood is good and, you know, win helps win.
05:36The confidence is high.
05:37It always is possible.
05:38Everything is possible.
05:40Hi, Pep.
05:41When you came here, your brand of football was so successful
05:45that other teams up and down the leagues were copying it
05:47and to try and be successful themselves.
05:49Now you've got with Mikel what he's doing at Arsenal.
05:51Other teams in the Premier League are perhaps replicating what he's trying to do.
05:54Is that what makes it most impressive that he's doing it?
05:57He's doing it in his own way.
06:00Absolutely.
06:01The best way is in the guys who had...
06:04Normally, it's happened, you know,
06:06that the teams who win,
06:08always you want to...
06:09There's a tendency for the other teams to copy,
06:11but that I think is a little bit mistake
06:14because you have to feel it, what you have to do.
06:15Otherwise, in a long, long term, it will not work.
06:20So, I don't know.
06:24For Mikel, I've told myself, when I came here,
06:26I never had the intention to do something differently
06:29that I just my team, Man City,
06:32play in the way we played
06:33and try to get the good results.
06:35The rest, if I copy-paste or interesting or not,
06:40it was worse.
06:41It's not my business.
06:43Hi, Pep.
06:43In the game here last season
06:45where Rodri, unfortunately, got injured,
06:47there was a bit of a fallout, wasn't there,
06:49between yourself and Mikel Arteta?
06:52It started off...
06:52There was what?
06:53There was a bit of a fallout
06:54between you and Mikel Arteta, if you remember, because...
06:56Fallout?
06:59Dispute?
07:00I don't think so.
07:02Well, because...
07:04Stones and Silva said that
07:07Arsenal's tactics were dark arts,
07:09to which Mikel said,
07:11I was here, meaning City, for four years,
07:13I know exactly what went on there.
07:15And as I understand it,
07:16you weren't particularly happy
07:17with him saying that,
07:18and you sort of said,
07:19next time he has to be a bit more specific.
07:21It's vague, I think was the word you used.
07:22I just wonder how are relations now?
07:24Are you best friends?
07:25You go for dinner?
07:28No, I don't have time to go to London.
07:30And I think he has no time
07:31for competitions to come to Manchester.
07:34I mean, some time has passed since then,
07:35but is it water under the bridge,
07:36as far as you're concerned?
07:37There's no ill feeling?
07:38When we're here,
07:39we are going to see every day
07:40during five, six hours a day,
07:43so the relation is completely different.
07:45And after five, six years in London,
07:47like, I have a lot of...
07:48All the managers have a lot of business to do.
07:51But if you want to try,
07:52to your question,
07:53before that game,
07:54create some conflict
07:55with Mikel and myself,
07:57or Arsenal,
07:57I am all enough to do that.
08:01Last one, last one on it.
08:02Do you think there's a certain irony
08:03in that Arsenal now basically play
08:06in the very way which he was saying,
08:07or seem to be indicating
08:08City were playing sort of dark arts?
08:10They've become that team,
08:11haven't they, Arsenal?
08:12The way their style?
08:14Did you listen to me?
08:15Because you are in how many times here?
08:18I used that subject,
08:20that concept,
08:21that character in Arsenal.
08:23Did you listen to me
08:24to say about dark arts about Arsenal?
08:26They play this way now.
08:27I'm saying that's how Arsenal makes you play.
08:29Do you say?
08:30I think so, yeah.
08:31Okay.
08:32Go to London.
08:33What time is the conference
08:34in Mikel in London?
08:36You have time to go one hour,
08:38go there and ask him about that.
08:42Pepp, there's a few places, you know.
08:43Does anyone do these kind of things
08:45that are, you know, officials,
08:47you know, to deal these kind of things?
08:49The manager can do.
08:50I can do whatever I want
08:52and the other one.
08:53And the officials have to do that,
08:55or I would say the guys
08:56who are behind the scenes
08:58have to do that.
08:59So, not the manager or whatever.
09:01Everyone is available
09:03to do what you have to do.
09:05Look what happened around the world, right?
09:07So, we are becoming
09:09in incredible chaos
09:10and nobody moved one finger.
09:12So, everything is behind the scenes.
09:15So, the world is going to collapse
09:17and still we are here talking about,
09:19I don't know,
09:20if a dark arts or one team
09:21on the other team,
09:22there are more important things than that.
09:25There's a few players in your squad
09:27who haven't won a major trophy yet.
09:29You know, I think it's the people
09:30you bought in January
09:31in the likes of Nico, O'Reilly, etc.
09:34How important will it be
09:35for them to get that, you know,
09:36that winning feeling
09:37to lift a trophy
09:38to kind of boost their confidence
09:40and, you know,
09:40get them to win more?
09:43Of course, it's really important
09:44to have that.
09:45I think I remember
09:46the first time
09:47we won the Carabao Cup
09:48was our first title
09:49when we, in our period here,
09:50and the host give you,
09:51okay,
09:52but what's next after that
09:54is going better,
09:56is going worse,
09:57and you can win a trophy
09:58and disappear
09:58for the next four or five years.
10:00So, this job is consistency
10:02and the main target is,
10:05okay,
10:06do what you have to do
10:07every three days
10:08during many, many, many, many times.
10:10It's what always impresses the most for me
10:14what we have done for many years
10:15is how we are consistent
10:16for many years
10:17every three days
10:18and now it's what we have done
10:19in Arsenal
10:20in this season,
10:21the previous,
10:21but especially in this season
10:22we have been consistent
10:23in the habits
10:23in the older process
10:26what you have to do.
10:27So, this is the most difficult thing.
10:28When one title can happen,
10:30one trophy and after,
10:31you can disappear.
10:32In the club,
10:33how they work,
10:34the teams and everything
10:35has been year by year
10:37being there.
10:38Of course,
10:39we are disappointed
10:39for the last weeks
10:40because, of course,
10:41it punishes a lot
10:42in the Premier League,
10:42Nottingham Forest
10:43and West Ham points
10:46otherwise will be there.
10:47And, of course,
10:48many things happen
10:50against the two games
10:51against Madrid
10:52but still,
10:53you know,
10:54two months
10:54we have three competitions
10:56to be there
10:57and think of that.
11:00Obviously,
11:00this is for the Carabao Cup
11:02but would it have
11:03an impact
11:04on the kind of title race
11:06if you did beat Arsenal?
11:08Would it give you
11:08a kind of psychological
11:09kind of...
11:10I don't know.
11:11As I said before,
11:12so,
11:14of course,
11:14winning helps
11:15just for the fact
11:16to winning helps
11:17but we can win
11:17the competition
11:19tomorrow on Sunday
11:21and after in the league
11:22we're bad
11:23and go into the opposite.
11:26I learned of that
11:27in many competitions
11:28and many games
11:28in a short time
11:30of recovery
11:31and mixed Champions League,
11:32FF Cups,
11:32Carabao Cups,
11:33Premier League
11:33and the other one
11:34you have to be the ability
11:35to forget and move forward
11:36in the good
11:36and the bad moments.
11:38Otherwise,
11:39the good moments
11:39to give you that
11:40because we're on a good path
11:41and bad moments
11:41that correct,
11:43learnings for that,
11:44what do you have to do better
11:44and this is what you have to do.
11:47Senate,
11:48Bob,
11:48we have to take that
11:48to be on the Saturday evening.
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