Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City's success is "not boring" or due to financial strength and took a savage swipe at other Premier League giants.
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Man City chasing fourth successive titleGuardiola rejects suggestion dominance is 'boring'Takes swipe at PL rivalsWHAT HAPPENED?
Amid their pursuit of a historic fourth successive English league title and the potential to achieve a domestic league and FA Cup double in consecutive seasons, Guardiola emphasised that City's achievements are anything but mundane. He refuted suggestions that financial prowess solely drives their dominance in English football and highlighted that other big spenders such as Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal should have beaten them to silverware.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT GUARDIOLA SAID
“It’s not boring,” said Guardiola. “It’s difficult. Before it was the money. For that reason, Manchester United should have won all the titles, Chelsea – all the titles, Arsenal – all the titles. They spend as much money in the last five years as us. They should be there. They are not there. For that reason, Girona shouldn’t be in the Champions League [next season] and Leicester should win the Premier League.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite ranking seventh in net spending among Premier League clubs over the past five years, significantly lower than rivals like Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal, City's success is attributed to strategic player acquisitions and squad management. They have been able to offload surplus players, like Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Riyad Mahrez, Aymeric Laporte and Cole Palmer, for substantial fees which is a major indication of their fiscal prudence.
Despite the departures of such superstars, City remain steadfast in conquering English football once again – to set a new record of winning four successive championships.
“In the beginning of the season we didn’t think about it,” Guardiola said. “But then we were in February, March and April, we were still there. After that it ignites something in all our heads.
“No team has done it. That shows how hard it is. Liverpool in the '80s, Sir Alex Ferguson’s United in the '90s. Chelsea with [Roman] Abramovich and Jose [Mourinho], Arsenal with [Arsene] Wenger didn’t do it.”
DID YOU KNOW?
City can also become the first club to win the domestic double of the Premier League and FA Cup for two consecutive seasons if they maintain their run until the cup final against United on May 25 at Wembley.