Pep rubbishes undefeated season suggestion
> Devils give Jose answer he didn’t want as Huddersfield expose their weakness <
MANCHESTER CITY boss Pep G u a r d i o l a has said it is “ridiculous” to suggest that the Premier League leaders can emulate Arsenal’s Invincibles of 200304 and go through the season unbeaten. Free-scoring City moved five points clear at the top of the table as Sergio Aguero’s landmark 177th strike for the club helped them to a 3-0 win over Burnley at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola’s side are the only undefeated team left in the league after their club record-equalling 11th consecutive win in all competitions but the Spaniard is not getting carried away with talk of going the distance without a loss.
“To finish unbeatable, that is not going to happen because we are in a lot of games and a lot of competitions are so demanding, more than ever. To win with this kind of record sounds ridiculous,” he told the British media.
“There will be a moment when we are going down. In that moment I am curious and I will test myself as a manager with the players and see how we are going to react.
“I know people like a lot the statistics and to compare one to another one with titles, and I am happy for the 11 wins in a row because we showed that we can win a lot of games in a row. But that’s all.”
Arsenal’s 2003-04 team ended the Premier League campaign as champions with 26 wins and 12 draws.
Guardiola said even the Golden State Warriors, NBA’s dominant force in recent seasons, had tasted defeat in a shaky start to their regular season and warned City there could be bumps on the road ahead.
“We are going to lose games, of course, but complacency, being (too) relaxed, is what we are not. That is not going to happen with me.”
City, who have 25 points from nine games, visit 13th-placed West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. – Reuters he does not as a rule drink alcohol, which is one of the differences between him and his good friend Jurgen Klopp.
He expected a call from the Liverpool manager and he will be taking his weary team to Anfield on Saturday which should be something for the aficionados of Gegenpressing.
He knows that wins against Manchester United are no guarantee against relegation.
Within a month of their last win against them in March 1952, United were champions and Huddersfield were relegated. This, however, was a demonstration of how to play against Mourinho’s men.
“We wanted to make it uncomfortable for them,” Wagner said.
“We really wanted to give them less space. We really wanted to make it an ugly game.
“We are not able to play technical football with them, they have the better players, but I said that with togetherness and attitude you can create something. We did that.
“They were brave and took it with both hands.” – The Independent