Record-breaking City eye 100 pts
It’s not easy to say goodbye: Wenger
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, May 10, (AFP): Pep Guardiola is targeting 100 points to cap an “almost perfect season” after champions Manchester City set a hat-trick of Premier League records and home fans said farewell to veteran midfielder Yaya Toure.
City’s 3-1 win against Brighton on Wednesday took them to 97 points and 105 goals for the season as they registered their 31st win of the campaign – all three are new records.
On his final home appearance as a City player, Toure, who is leaving the club at the end of the season after eight years, captained the side.
His name was chanted throughout the contest, there was a huge cheer when he was substituted late on and the crowd also showed their appreciation for the 34-year-old Ivorian during a post-match presentation on the pitch involving his brother and former City team-mate Kolo Toure.
City boss Guardiola said: “97 points, a lot of goals, a lot of wins – that’s a consequence of the season we have done. It’s good.
“Now it’s one more game (away against Southampton on Sunday). We’re going to try for 100 points and finish this almost perfect season in the Premier League.
“It’s fantastic because we did that (break the records) in the day we always will remember – the day for Yaya.”
Guardiola said he agreed with those who argue that City need to win more titles to be considered the equals of the great sides of the past, including Liverpool and Manchester United. “In the end, we have won one Premier League – three in six years, but in this moment just one. They won a lot of things,” he said.
“But in terms of statistics and numbers, this season we were the best, and that’s why we are so satisfied. Once, a team will arrive and do better than us but they will have to do really good.”
Danilo put City ahead and after Leonardo Ulloa equalised, Bernardo Silva and Fernandinho also got on the scoresheet for City. Leroy Sane provided assists for all three City goals.
Guardiola said City can get “a lot” better, and said of Professional Footballers’ Association Young Player of the Year Sane: “What I like the most with Leroy, seeing his
Brighton’s French midfielder Anthony Knockaert (right), has a shot on goal by Manchester City’s Ukrainian midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on May 9.
(AFP)
outstanding performance today, was I had the feeling he can do better, and that is the best.”
Arsene Wenger admits his long goodbye from Arsenal has been a bittersweet experience as he prepares to finally say farewell on Sunday.
The Frenchman will take charge of Arsenal for the last time as his 22-year reign comes to an end with the Gunners’ Premier League clash at Huddersfield this weekend.
The 68-year-old has been on a prolonged farewell tour since Arsenal announced on April 20 that he had agreed to part ways with the north London club following another troubled season.
Wenger has tried to stay focused on football, but he conceded it hasn’t always been easy amid all the nostalgia triggered by his impending departure.
“I enjoyed some aspects of it, yes - and not all,” Wenger said during his final pre-match press conference at Arsenal’s training base on Thursday.
“It was not always easy to cut slowly with what you do everyday and always you want to do it as well as you can and you don’t want to forget to thank people who deserve it.
“There are some people here who I employed 20 years ago who did fight for me every single day so it is not easy to say goodbye.”
While Arsenal have insisted Wenger’s exit was on mutual terms, the Gunners boss has dropped several hints that he would have preferred to stay on for the final year of his contract.
But that was impossible after Arsenal’s dismal run left them languishing in sixth in the Premier League amid growing fan unrest at Wenger’s failure to win the title since 2004.
The final weeks of Wenger’s reign have seen that inconsistent form continue as the Gunners crashed out of the Europa League semi-final against Atletico Madrid – condemning the club to another season without Champions League football.
A 3-1 defeat at Leicester on Wednesday leaves Arsenal without an away league point in 2018.
The highlights of Wenger’s farewell have been home victories over West Ham and Burnley, the latter followed by an emotional on-pitch presentation to mark his final match in charge at the Emirates Stadium.