No gimme for Stones as starter
PEP GUARDIOLA only looks ahead – but the Manchester City boss has revealed sometimes it’s good to live in the past.
And, as he prepares the runaway Premier League winners to start the defence of their title against Arsenal at the Emirates today, Guardiola insists his stars should have last season fixed firmly in their minds.
City won the Premier League by 19 points from nearest challengers Manchester United, scoring 106 goals and amassing 100 points in a breathtaking season of milestones.
And to do it all again, he reckons no one at the club should forget their momentous performance.
“People say now that we have to forget what we did last season. No way. I don’t want to forget what we have done last season,” said Guardiola.
“I know exactly what we did to achieve that and that is where we start from. That’s the basic principle.
“Because now, when I say something to the players, they know exactly what we have to do.”
Even though City smashed their transfer record for Riyad Mahrez (above) from Leicester for £60million, Guardiola is not expecting it so easy again.
And he has warned his stars this time it will be no procession to another coronation next May.
“We can do our job, yes. But maybe Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea can do their job better and win. People forget that, while we can be excellent, others can be too – there can be six contenders.
“This season, the important thing is to be there and to be ourselves. It’s not winning backto-back, it’s to be ourselves.
“What we have done last season doesn’t mean that now we are going to win it the same. Now we start again. That’s why it is special. It’s a new challenge. That’s why we stay here.
“The moment I am not hungry, I am leaving. The moment the players are not hungry any more, they are going to move on. That’s the point. “And even sometimes, after being perfect, the others can be better. I have played finals in my career when we have been excellent and still we have lost because the others are good teams – and here in England there are many.
“Of course, there are new managers. Maurizio Sarri, Unai Emery, and they want to be able to dream. Liverpool have spent a lot, but last season they were a good team as well.
“Maybe Tottenham could not spend because of the stadium, but there is Chelsea with Jorginho, Kovacic and Kante in the middle, and Hazard, Willian, Pedro and Morata up front.
“So you cannot say they are not contenders. Or Manchester United. People ask how will they do, but I know a little about the manager and in that situation how well they handle that.
“Arsenal are contenders for titles, too. Yes, they can do it.
“I know the manager. He is smart, intelligent and wellprepared, so he will know exactly what he has to do.
“Many people spoke to me when I arrived here, but I discovered many things during the process by just watching with my own eyes what happens.
“He has enough experience about what to expect. He was in France and many teams in Spain. I have a lot of respect for him.” Sergio Aguero to score first