- Pep Guardiola claimed defeat by Basle should be a warning to Manchester City
- City, 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League, should wrap up the title
- But Guardiola has told his stars that their levels can’t drop in the coming weeks
Pep Guardiola claimed defeat by Basle should act as a warning to Treble-hunting Manchester City.
City, 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League, should wrap up the title in the coming weeks.
But Guardiola has told his stars that their levels cannot drop in the league if they are to achieve Champions League glory.
Pep Guardiola claimed defeat by Basle should act as a warning to Manchester City
‘I know everyone wants to anticipate when we are going to win the title,’ the City boss said.
‘The best example was two days ago. Nobody thought we were going to lose against Basle. Our performance will dictate what we have to do in the future.
‘We have an opportunity. What’s going to happen in the Champions League quarter-finals will depend on how we are in the Premier League.’
Guardiola admitted he doesn’t favour playing on Monday nights as City head to Stoke City after the weekend. They lost against Wigan three weeks ago and only drew with Everton back in August.
City fell to a 2-1 defeat by Basle on Wednesday night but still progressed in Europe
Guardiola has told his stars that their levels can’t drop if they are to win the Champions League
Guardiola admitted he doesn’t favour playing on Monday nights as City head to Stoke
‘I have a bad experience on Mondays,’ he added. ‘We need to be focused because Stoke away is always complicated. They are fighting.
‘This season is exceptional because the distance is not normal. It’s almost done, people don’t believe me, but we’re not champions (yet). Chelsea are still the champions.’
Guardiola and his staff will also sit down to watch Manchester United host Liverpool at the City Football Academy on Saturday.
He added: ‘It’s a classic in England – United against Liverpool is one of the most exciting by far. The history is amazing. It’s a big game and I like to watch it. We play United in three weeks so we’ll be looking at that game for sure.’