Man City Aim to Clinch Title on Final Day, Guardiola Compares Race to Wimbledon Serve

City Boss Says Pressure of Title Race Affected Performance Against Tottenham

May 16, 2024 - 12:33
Man City Aim to Clinch Title on Final Day, Guardiola Compares Race to Wimbledon Serve
Pep Guardiola.

Manchester City, who ascended to the top of the standings after defeating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 on Tuesday, had their last Premier League match of the season compared to "serving for Wimbledon" by their manager, Pep Guardiola.

On Sunday, the last day of the season, if Guardiola's team defeats West Ham at home, they will have 88 points, two more than Arsenal, and would have won the league for the record fourth time in a row.


"The tennis players say 'the serve to win Wimbledon', the last match, is the most difficult," Guardiola stated.

"We understand the purpose of our game. There is tension. We'll try our best after taking two days off and a day off to prepare," he continued.

Arsenal, who must defeat Everton, will be hoping for the best on Sunday against City, who have maintained their lead in the title hunt and are now undefeated in 22 league games.

Goalie Ederson was injured and had to leave the game after being tripped by Cristian Romero and Kevin de Bruyne. Guardiola also mentioned Ederson's treatment on the field.

"Ederson's eye condition made it difficult for him to see, so the doctor advised removing it. "De Bruyne sustained an ankle injury," he continued.

After a 2-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur, Guardiola maintained there were no festivities.

Erling Haaland's second goal of the match sealed a vital victory for City, who were far from their best and had to rely on a late stop from replacement goalie Stefan Ortega.

After Pedro Porro tripped Jeremy Doku, Haaland scored a penalty kick in the 51st minute to break the tie and extended their lead in the 91st.

"We were happy in the locker room but they know it's not done, they know it will be tough on Sunday," Guardiola stated. "We have to win a game to do something no team has done."

While City shone in a 4-0 blowout at Craven Cottage on Sunday under the sun, they were oddly quiet at Tottenham's new stadium, where they had not won a Premier League game until Tuesday.

The significance of their goal, which is to become the first team in English history to win four titles in a row, has, according to Guardiola, weighed heavily on them.

Guardiola said to reporters, "They were playing for the consequences of the result (in the first half)." "You're going to lose the Premier League if you do that. You are not able to function at your best. I recognize the pressure, they are human.

"Even though Arsenal did not perform well against Manchester United, they were aware that a loss would prevent them from winning the Premier League.

"We'll play West Ham in the same manner on Sunday. The pressure will be felt by us. Aston Villa faced QPR a few seasons back with Sergio Aguero leading the team into the 93rd minute with 15 minutes remaining and down 2-0. It's typical. For this reason, when we converse, we say that everyone just needs to unwind and complete their tasks."

Former Tottenham defender Kyle Walker mirrored Guardiola's views.

"We prepare, we recover and West Ham is another final and hopefully we can go and make history for this great club," he stated. "A million miles does not make the task done.

"Hopefully, we can triumph. I would be on the wrong team and in the wrong position if I didn't appreciate pressure."

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

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