PEP: WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE PRESSURE
PEP Guardiola has urged his Manchester City players to ignore the pressure of the title race and treat today’s decisive final game like any other. City host Aston Villa knowing victory will secure their fourth Premier League crown in five seasons.
Yet any slip-up could open the door for Liverpool, who trail by just one point and play at home to Wolves, to leapfrog them at the last moment.
The City manager said: “I said to the players it’s just a football game, focus on the football game, don’t think of the consequences, of how happy we will be if we win or how sad we will be if we lose, forget about it.
“It’s just a football game, just think about what you have to do to win against Aston Villa. If you think about it being one more title or one less title - yes this kind of thing is important, everyone knows it - but it’s a football game.
“Do they play with (Ollie) Watkins or (Danny) Ings and Watkins? Does Douglas Luiz play as a holding midfielder or in a three? Will (John) McGinn move outside or not?
“This is what we have to handle tomorrow, these kind of things are what we have to think about if we want to win the game.”
While City will be the favourites,
Guardiola feels it helps his side that they are not historically burdened by a weight of expectation.
He said: “As a club we have not been here many times, so once we are here, should we be anxious or nervous? No, no way.
“Go there and try to enjoy the game, enjoy the moments. We will suffer in moments but if we concede a goal it is, ‘ Come on, let’s go, try again, try again’.
“From my little experience this is the best way to approach these situations.”
Much has been made of the game’s Steven Gerrard sub-plot, with the Villa manager now having the chance to finally deliver a league title for Liverpool having never secured one during his glittering Anfield playing career.
Gerrard himself has played down the significance of his personal associations and Guardiola is not sure they will make much difference either.
“We can make theories but it is just a football game, 11 players (against 11),” he said. “A good manager will try to beat us and we will try to beat them.”
City are boosted by the potential return of defenders Kyle Walker and John Stones, who have made quickerthan-expected recoveries from ankle and thigh injuries respectively.
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists his side will not stop in their pursuit of Manchester City and trophies whatever the outcome of the title race this weekend.
They also have a Champions League final reunion with Real Madrid in Paris on May 28 but even if they miss out on one or both Klopp said his side would not go away next season.
“Whatever happens on Sunday we will not stop. We will not stop trying,” he said.
“Yes, we have the best opponent in world football, which is a bit of a shame, but they have us in their neck, which is not too cool as well. So let’s see.”
Klopp believes they have the psychological advantage as the Premier League trophy is City’s to lose, having been front-runners for so long.
“I cannot talk about pressure for the other team but it’s like this for us: there is no pressure,” he added.
“We know that we have to win the football game but we’ve had that now for a while. It’s not about, ‘what if?’. We don’t have that. If City have that, I don’t know.
“For us, it is pretty positive, it is so special. If you have something to lose it feels different but we don’t have that.
“We have been in situations like this before and we know it is not easy but most of the time we have dealt with it OK.
“I have no reason to think why Man City wouldn’t but the situation is different.
“Ours is full throttle, give it a try and let’s see what the outcome is.
“Whatever happens on Sunday, I will not forget that it has been an absolutely fantastic season.”
Elsewhere, Tottenham need to beat relegated Norwich to ensure a Champions League spot in fourth, knowing that any slip-up could open the door for Arsenal, who host Everton.
At the bottom, Burnley (at home to Newcastle) need to match or better Leeds’ result at Brentford to stay up. Otherwise, it will be a return to the Championship for the Whites after a two-year stay.