- 2 days ago
Guardiola admits City must beat Arsenal to have a chance of lifting Premier League title
17/04/2026
CFGA, Manchester, UK
17/04/2026
CFGA, Manchester, UK
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00And to the Sunday embargo.
00:01We'll start with Simon at PLP, please.
00:06Hello, Pepe.
00:07Okay?
00:07Good.
00:08Thank you for this, as always.
00:10Can I start with a quick one with team news?
00:12Nico, O'Reilly and Ruben Diaz.
00:15Are they likely?
00:16Ruben is not ready still and Nico is fine.
00:21So that's good and bad news then, essentially?
00:24What are the ramifications for both of those players,
00:26either being involved or not for this?
00:28I prefer to be everybody.
00:30But during the season, always, there are players, aren't just.
00:35Hi, Pepe.
00:37You've had some incredible title wins here, Centurions, Treble,
00:42teams that have got 93 points, 91 points.
00:45But considering the experience that was lost in the summer
00:48and the relatively young squad that you've got,
00:51would you class it as one of your greatest achievements
00:54if you won the title this season?
00:56No.
00:58The greatest has done.
01:01For many new players, it's good to be in that position,
01:03to learn for all of us, to learn for the future,
01:06for the next season,
01:07to be there and especially after many, many years,
01:10especially with many, many titles
01:11and being still in the title race a little bit.
01:16And it's good, really, really good, but it's not the greatest achievement.
01:21And you've mentioned the Jurgen Klopp has always been the reference point,
01:24but how much has Mikel Arteta pushed you this season?
01:28How hard have you had to work to stay in contention?
01:31Absolutely, the last two or three seasons.
01:34It's already been many years there and every season is getting better and better.
01:41So, I think we took over the club and was in problems and troubles and step by step.
01:48And, of course, last season Liverpool made an incredible three-quarters of the season.
01:53That was unstoppable.
01:54But, the previous one in the season, Arsenal have been the biggest contender.
01:59Hi, Pep. Is this a final?
02:04Yeah, obviously.
02:08If we lose, yeah, it's over.
02:13But, the other two results, knowing that Arsenal didn't win Bournemouth,
02:17we still have games to play.
02:19Six games is a lot in our calendar, especially.
02:22It's terrible, we say, in the, you know, Everton away, Bournemouth away,
02:27Aston Villa the last game at home.
02:31Apart, of course, Barley's and Crystal Palace and Brent Forrest at home.
02:35So, Crystal Palace, what's going on, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace in Europe.
02:40So, still, many, many things to do.
02:44Can I ask the change of the pressing structure in the League Cup final?
02:50Are you intending?
02:52No, tomorrow I'm going to change again.
02:53I'm going to tell you now what I'm going to do.
02:55I'm going to tell you.
03:00Hi, Pep.
03:01Earlier this season, you said that your team wasn't at the level yet required to win the title.
03:06I just wonder, given the performance at Wembley against Liverpool
03:09and against Chelsea last week in the second half,
03:11do you feel you're at that level now or do you still need to get even better?
03:15Even better because you said perfectly in Chelsea's second half.
03:18The first was not bad,
03:19but the first 30 minutes against Liverpool was not good either.
03:24So, the first 30 minutes of fun against Arsenal, they were better.
03:28For the last 15 in the second half, we were better.
03:31So, still, we are not competing, but it's normal.
03:33And on the other side, they cannot pretend against Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea in this time of teams
03:39being 95, 96 minutes all the time, perfect.
03:42But, of course, there is one aspect that is not about the future, the present, the past.
03:48It's how the confidence is an incredible, you know, aspect.
03:54All the managers, you could buy in a supermarket.
04:00The confident will go there and will buy, you know, immediately.
04:04That is one of the most important aspects, and, of course, the results help us.
04:08But the reality is that, yeah, seven games left for us in the Premier League,
04:14and that is a decisive moment.
04:16You spoke after the Carabao Cup final about the fact you were underdogs
04:20and that everyone expected Arsenal to win.
04:22I just wonder this weekend, given your home record, all the experience you've got,
04:26you're in front of your own fans, are you underdogs this weekend?
04:31I understand your message, but I would not feel when...
04:34I had the same opinion.
04:35Maybe we are not, I don't know, they are not their best.
04:41Mikel said, you know, after the game in Champions League,
04:45that the only English team is qualified in the Champions League.
04:48So, at the end, it wasn't beaten still in the Champions League.
04:52And there are many, many games so far, and the Premier League are the first.
04:55So, they have been the best so far.
04:57So, but we want to challenge them.
04:59That is only a thing.
05:00Then, I said, no, I didn't say it yesterday.
05:03I said today to the players, I would say to them, it's just a football game.
05:07So, I had to approach them like a football game.
05:09Really important, of course, but you got distracted too much for emotions
05:13or too much for these kind of things after you lose the focus.
05:17You know, what is the target?
05:18To perform well.
05:19And that is exactly what you have to do.
05:22And all the aspects that are required to be, to be, to challenge the teams like Arsenal.
05:29Hi, Pep.
05:31Do you like watching Arsenal play?
05:33Yeah.
05:34What is it you like about them?
05:35Because they get a lot of criticism for their style.
05:38Yeah, people are so demanding.
05:40I see, you know.
05:42So demanding for the media, for the supporters, for everyone.
05:45I enjoy watching it.
05:47I learn a lot, many, many, many things.
05:51And the people, what they want, the people they want is win.
05:55So, and we fight in an aspect that is really, really, really important
06:01that we cannot fight against.
06:02It's 22 years without winning the Premier League.
06:04So, with that aspect, we cannot fight.
06:07So, they have something that make unique.
06:11You know, I know that I knew that feeling when we arrived here.
06:14And for a long time, we didn't win the Premier League.
06:17Or, well, a long time not.
06:18Because with Manuel and Mancini, they did it.
06:21But, but for our era, I would say, when our time, win the first,
06:25I know how you feel it.
06:27And, you know.
06:28And that is something that we cannot play against.
06:33So, that's why we had to focus in the way we had to play.
06:39Pep, you spoke about confidence.
06:41When you look at the players at the moment in training and just around,
06:45how do you kind of assess their level of confidence at the moment?
06:50Yeah, it's good.
06:50We are ready.
06:51So, months ago, because we dropped points in moments that I thought
06:57we will not be up.
06:58Always we saw the calendar and said, okay, we play the moment
07:03and Arsenal come at home to be the chance.
07:05You know, it's not, we are not 20 points behind.
07:10You know, six points is not short distance.
07:13But, yeah, you have the chance to do it.
07:16And you have, and that is the situation that we are in.
07:19And now it depends on our, you know, behavior and everything will be said tomorrow.
07:29So, the team will be ready.
07:30Our fans sold out.
07:32Come there.
07:33The table massage will be in the airway game.
07:36The team settled, so everything perfect to try to play a game.
07:42In terms of the players that have come to your club over the last 18 months,
07:46there's been quite a lot of new signings.
07:48Do they, do you get the impression now that they're kind of,
07:51they've finally worked out to kind of play with each other in a team?
07:57Yeah, but you are talking about the last three games and that question I understand completely.
08:02It's about the last three games and, of course, you can see,
08:04but I don't know the after tomorrow what is going to happen, you know.
08:07And maybe six, seven, eight games ago, that is not mine.
08:11So, maybe you don't have that feeling.
08:13So, always had the feeling during the season that we had done really, really,
08:17really good things.
08:18So, if, I try to be incredibly honest about the performance,
08:22always talk about that and accept Arsenal away that we draw
08:26and all try for us and many times that we didn't deserve.
08:30But, you know, we didn't play good.
08:32The rest of the games and most of the games that we play much, much better than the,
08:38or Aston Villa away, for example.
08:40These games that we didn't, three, four games that we won.
08:44But the rest, we have been good.
08:45And considering that many, many new players and many, many things.
08:49So, we work a lot, incredibly a lot,
08:51in terms of making them understand what's required to be in a club like that.
08:56So, we, yeah, I'm satisfied.
09:00So, I've been good.
09:04Pep, are you surprised you've actually, at this point, though,
09:09where if you beat Arsenal and beat Burnley,
09:11you can be level on points at the top,
09:12given how many new players you've had to integrate this season,
09:17all the challenges,
09:18just how strong Arsenal were in the sort of first six months particularly.
09:22Do you actually believe that you could get to this point
09:26where you can now put it in your own hands?
09:30I had the feeling in January that when we play against it,
09:33it was a decisive moment.
09:34We talk about a lot of that because I have a little experience
09:37when there's certain moments you don't win the Premier League,
09:39but you have sent a lot of messages to the opponents for ourselves,
09:43the confidence, but a lot of it was Sunderland, Chelsea, and Brighton.
09:47These three games that we were outstanding, all three games,
09:50and we didn't win once.
09:51In that moment, I said, we missed the chances.
09:54And after that, for other results,
09:56because, of course, the points of the season is much, much lower
10:00comparing the seasons with Jurgen in Liverpool,
10:05apart because maybe both we are not good
10:07or maybe the contenders have been better.
10:09This is a question mark.
10:11I don't know.
10:14We were there,
10:14but after the games against Nottingham
10:19and West Ham said we ran away.
10:24But, you know, until it never is over,
10:27until it's over and we are still here,
10:29and now you ask me,
10:31I'm talking about what happened in the past
10:32because there's a certainty what happened.
10:34If you win here, you win here.
10:36If, if, if.
10:37I don't buy.
10:38So try to perform well,
10:41to train today and tomorrow,
10:42to read what you have to do,
10:44what they are as a team,
10:45and, and, yeah, we'll see what happens.
10:49Hi, Pep.
10:50Arsenal have got a draw
10:51in each of the last two seasons
10:53that the Etihad.
10:54Obviously, a draw is a good result
10:56for them on Sunday.
10:57So what do you expect from them
10:59in terms of their approach?
11:03Well, they are so strong in all departments.
11:07So the dual, the physicality,
11:09that you allow them to make a good process.
11:13You are not aggressive or compact,
11:15I would say they make a really,
11:16really good build-up,
11:18right, it's extraordinary long ball,
11:19second ball,
11:20we have a good carries.
11:21They are really, really good
11:22going to the second balls.
11:23When they defend deep,
11:24the transition is good.
11:25It's one of the best of the best
11:26in the high pressing,
11:28how much amount of balls.
11:30They are able to allow you
11:31to make one or two passes,
11:32and after they convert and man-marking,
11:34they are so aggressive
11:35in the frontal balls.
11:37So set pieces,
11:38not necessary to talk about more on that.
11:39So that's why they are who they are.
11:42So top of the,
11:44have been in semifinal Champions League,
11:45how difficult it is.
11:46The Premier League,
11:47all the seasons have been leaders.
11:49So that's why I'm proud to be there,
11:51still challenge them.
11:53Unfortunately,
11:53not in the Champions League.
11:55But yeah,
11:56in the Carabao Cup we won,
11:58in the FA Cup we're in semifinals,
11:59and here we are.
12:00So last month,
12:01in eight days,
12:02seven days,
12:03I think so,
12:03and we'll see what happens.
12:05It depends,
12:05I said,
12:07how we perform,
12:08guys,
12:09how we perform.
12:10And after that,
12:12it will be the secret
12:13in how to do a perfect,
12:15almost,
12:16you know,
12:16top, top level
12:17to win this type of rivals.
12:19Hi Pep,
12:20you're obviously very respectful of Arsenal,
12:22as you should be,
12:23as everyone should be,
12:23but isn't the truth,
12:24that when you played your best at Wembley
12:26in the second half,
12:27they couldn't live with your team.
12:29And if you do that again on Sunday,
12:30perform,
12:30as you just said.
12:31if we play like the second half
12:33during 95 minutes,
12:34if they play like a second half
12:35during 95 minutes,
12:36then we're going to win.
12:37Well,
12:37maybe not,
12:38because football isn't predictable.
12:40And even you can be better,
12:41that happens,
12:42but yeah,
12:42we'll be closer.
12:43But that is what we want.
12:44But I know a little bit,
12:47Mikel,
12:47they are going to adjust something,
12:49what we have done,
12:51and we have to be prepared,
12:52it happened,
12:54you know,
12:54to do it.
12:55And at the end,
12:56it's more simple as that,
12:57it's how your players individually,
12:59because they,
13:00the man of the team,
13:01so the contact,
13:02the physicality,
13:03how you win,
13:04you're me against you,
13:05or you against me,
13:06how you are able to do.
13:08But isn't that the point
13:09of that win
13:10in the Carabao Cup final?
13:11Your team almost became,
13:13not all of them,
13:14but the young ones
13:14became like men,
13:15like proper,
13:17mentally hard,
13:18they can do it,
13:18and now they have that.
13:19And so,
13:20are we maybe seeing your team
13:22overtaking Arsenal
13:23in terms of being the best team?
13:24This is what's going on
13:25at the moment.
13:26Yeah,
13:26but at the same time,
13:27we're at the feet,
13:28maybe we'll have been the feet,
13:29we'll be more,
13:31our warnings will be ready,
13:33and I don't know
13:35how we'll approach,
13:36of course we prove,
13:37but this is the pass,
13:37the competition is the final,
13:39it's not the Premier League,
13:41you know,
13:41Carabao Cup is important,
13:42but the Premier League is much more,
13:44so,
13:4522 years without winning,
13:47in fact,
13:48give you,
13:48you know,
13:49the game of,
13:50absolutely,
13:51that they know
13:51that they win
13:52will be over,
13:54so that's why
13:56there is an aspect
13:57I'm mental to,
13:58of course,
13:59we respect them so much,
14:00so it's not necessary
14:01to tell again
14:02what they have done
14:03and the quality
14:03that they have
14:04and everything,
14:06I don't have any doubts
14:07about that,
14:07but how we approach
14:08and what we have to do,
14:09always I'm focused
14:10in this type of games,
14:10what do you have to do
14:11tactically and mentally
14:13to approach a bit,
14:14it's only I'm concerned,
14:16that's all.
14:22Hi Pep,
14:23the club and Bernardo
14:24Silva confirmed
14:24that he's going to leave
14:25in the summer,
14:27during your 10 years,
14:28you've said goodbye
14:28to some proper
14:29sort of legends,
14:30is this maybe
14:31the hardest one of all
14:32for you,
14:33because he's still
14:33very,
14:33very important to the team?
14:35Absolutely,
14:36it's part of,
14:36when this type of players,
14:37there are many
14:38in the last years
14:38that have gone,
14:39it's part of,
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