Daily Dispatch

It’s ‘Mission Impossible’

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Pep Guardiola has insisted it will be “impossible” for Manchester City to break any more Premier League records.

Guardiola secured his first English league title last season and made history by claiming 11 records, including the highesteve­r points total of 100.

City finished 19 points clear of Manchester United in second, scoring a record 106 goals, and secured 32 league victories.

With Liverpool having spent over £170-million (about R2.9billion) in a push to challenge City, and United expected to make a number of big signings, Guardiola believes their historic season will never be beaten.

“Last season we increased the levels of the Premier League – 100 points, the level is here and now we try to take the level up,” he said.

“But we are not going to break any records in the Premier League any more, it is impossible, almost impossible. The records we took last season were a consequenc­e of what we’ve done every single day.”

Guardiola was rewarded with a two-year extension to his contract in May and has admitted he wants to make City even more formidable opponents.

History is against him, howEverton ever, as no Premier League team has successful­ly defended the title since United in 2009.

“When we decided to extend the contract, first of all I am comfortabl­e, the second one is the club trust what we are doing,” said Guardiola.

“Khaldoon [Al Muburak, chairman], Txiki [Begiristai­n, director of football] and Ferran [Soriano, chief executive] know it depends on results. We have three more years of contract but the results will dictate what will happen in the future.

“If we are not able to be consistent and be there to win the title... football trainers are always in a dangerous position.”

Guardiola faces Jurgen Klopp’s revamped Liverpool in the Internatio­nal Champions Cup today and the City manager insists they will be title contenders.

“They are contenders to win the title and they will be in the future with their history,” said Guardiola.

“All the contenders, United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham will be stronger, Everton took a good manager, West Ham with Manuel [Pellegrini], always the expectatio­n is high.

“But we want to do really well and continue what we started two seasons ago.” — The Daily Telegraph

City finished 19 points clear of United in second, scoring 106 goals, and secured 32 league victories

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PEP GUARDIOLA

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