Pep Guardiola is setting new goals for Man City after giving up on the Premier League title
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted his defending champions have “no chance” of lifting the Premier League title this season, turning their focus instead to Champions League and FA Cup qualification.
Guardiola unleashed this bout of pessimistic realism after watching his side earn their keep first away win since October. Goals from Savinho and Erling Haaland helped the Cityzens overcome struggling Leicester City on Sunday afternoon, although their unconvincing performance it was not reflected by a direct score of 2-0.
A much-needed win after a run of one win from 13 still leaves City 14 points adrift leading Liverpool. Faced with the reality of the table at the halfway point of the season, Guardiola told the BBC Match of the day: “We are far from winning the Premier League.
“We accept there is no chance of that already, but we have other things to fight for: the FA Cup, the top four… and winning games helps.”
City were painfully vulnerable during a wasteful performance by the Foxes, prompting Guardiola to rightly describe Leicester as “much better” but his side for large parts of Sunday’s game.
The tired Catalan coach previously insisted that “solution” for City’s problems he is simply waiting for his fleet of injured players to recover. However, the Premier League’s relentless attrition leaves little time for recovery – particularly when fit individuals soon follow their team-mates into the treatment room.
Guardiola claimed that an active approach in the January transfer window is necessary considering the injury crisis on his side. “We need help in some positions,” the coach emphasized once again after the victory at the weekend.
“I thought the centre-backs would be fit all season but we’ve struggled – we need help holding the midfield and centre-backs. The market is the market – it’s not easy, it’s expensive so we’ll see what the club can do.”
They were a city linked with several midfieldersall of which would require a significant financial outlay to take them away from Europe’s elite mid-season.
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