Guardiola reveals why City have been such a force this season...
MARK Hughes used his time with Pep Guardiola after City thrashed Stoke 7-2 in October to ask the question everyone has been trying to analyse: how do you explain the transformation this season?
Nine months on from their third-placed finish that saw them 15 points behind champions Chelsea, the Blues are 16 ahead of their nearest rivals as they romp towards their first title since 2014.
Stoke suffered more than most at the Etihad, seeing seven goals thrashed past them in an extraordinary game of football.
Coming hours after United’s winning run ended in a dour draw at Anfield, City moved clear at the top of the table and haven’t looked back.
Former Stoke assistant Mark Bowen, speaking on Sky Sports’ The Debate, recalled his shock on the touchline at how the match unfolded at the Etihad.
When Hughes looked for answers, the City manager was candid in explaining the jump in his team this season.
“One interesting thing after the game, we went in for a glass of wine with Pep after the game and Mark asked him what was the difference for his team between this year and last year,” said Bowen.
“He turned round and gave a very simple answer. He said it’s easy when your two best players, Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva, work harder than anybody else in the team.
“He was saying that every Saturday they covered more ground than anyone else.
“It was interesting to get his thoughts on the way he goes about preparing his players and what he felt about them.
“It all came down to the same philosophy at Barcelona...I don’t care how talented you are, if you aren’t prepared to run and work, then you are less than the sum of the parts.”
De Bruyne supplied not one but two contenders for pass of the season in the Stoke mauling but his highlights reel for the year will take some putting together after an outstanding campaign.
Even Guardiola, who has little interest in the Ballon D’Or and remains keen to keep his players’ feet on the ground at all time, admitted last weekend that the Belgian is up there with the most outstanding players in the game.
“He is not playing like this in just one game,” he said. “It’s the whole season every three days - playing that way.
“The way he’s played it’s difficult to find one (a player like it) in Europe.”
Paul Lambert will hope for more luck than his predecessor when his Stoke team take on City next month.