Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City are judged more harshly in comparison to other teams in the Premier League, which he stated was the case during his time at Barcelona as well.
After City’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea, it was natural that there was a lot of discussion about whether they would be able to retain their Premier League title.
Despite Guardiola and Co. having showcased their ability to bounce back in title races, as recently as last season, a huge result as the one on Saturday prompted conversations.
Pep Guardiola says Manchester City are judged more harshly than other teams in the Premier League
Even during their title battles with Liverpool in the past, it was not as if the Sky Blues were cruising from day one.
For instance, in the 2018/2019 season, in which City eventually won the league, it took an epic 2-1 win against the Reds for them to ensure that the gap between them remained just four points.
When Pep Guardiola was quizzed about whether Manchester City are judged more harshly due to their near-perfect standards over the years, he replied that the same took place during his spell at Barcelona as well.
“Absolutely. I have the experience in my previous clubs, especially in Barcelona. Absolutely.”
“It’s an honour. Go for it. But I will not be…no effect, we know! So, [it] is what it is and we have to continue doing what we try but it’s normal. I knew it”, he said [via the club’s official YouTube channel].
“I knew it after that, then the beginning wasn’t, lack of consistency…and I knew it, it’s how we behave in many, many things and how we perform. And I’m the first to demand itself that the team do it for 90, 95 minutes knowing that it’s impossible.”
“This is my point. We are going to win the Premier League? I don’t know. I said many times, next 10 years, we are going to win the Premier League, Man City? No. It’s not going to happen.”
Pep Guardiola questioned why Chelsea were not given any credit for how well they played instead of the draw only being looked at from a Manchester City perspective.
“But still, we are there. This is why I continue. We are not satisfied for the result. It’s part of the game because we don’t play alone, the opponents always play. Why don’t you give credit to Chelsea for what they have done in the first half?”
“When they link, they attack from outside and make counter-attacks. Second half, the chances they had, offside, all of them. Offside, all of them. But the referees today, they allowed to play but it was offside. So, we played good, we had a lot, a lot of chances, a lot.”
“More in the second than the first. A clear one for Julian [Alvarez] and Erling [Haaland] and this has to continue. To improve, to improve, stay focused and be in the title race.”
The Catalan tactician is bang on the money
In our view, Pep Guardiola is spot on in his analysis of the discourse surrounding Manchester City every time they drop points.
Not every disappointing result should be viewed as a crisis for any team in the world.
Let alone a City side that firmly remains in the title race, despite their draw to Chelsea.
Ultimately, the treble-winners are a victim of their high standards and being hyperbolic about every time they have an off day comes with the territory of being the best in the business.
