Guardiola urged the team not to let goal difference distract them.

2026-04-22 11:23

Guardiola urged the team not to let goal difference distract them.


Manchester City, nicknamed "The Citizens," will travel to face newly promoted Burnley in the next round of Premier League matches. Manager Pep Guardiola stated that the team should not be affected by goal difference and emphasized that their immediate task is to do everything in their power to defeat Burnley.


In the last round of the Premier League, Manchester City defeated Arsenal 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium thanks to goals from Rajan Scherki and Erling Haaland. With two consecutive wins, Manchester City currently sits in second place in the standings with 67 points, three points behind leaders Arsenal with one game in hand.


When asked whether goal difference would be a key factor in determining the title this season, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said, "It's certainly possible, but it shouldn't distract us. If we focus too much on that, our overall performance will become unbalanced, and we'll concede a lot of goals. I have a feeling we might not score many goals against our next opponents. They are all very strong, but we will do our best to win."


"Like against Arsenal before, people always ask what would happen if we lost, but no one asks what would happen if we won. What we need to do is beat Burnley, and the game itself will determine what happens next. If everyone tells me that playing seven forwards will score 20 goals, then I will play seven forwards, but that's not how football works. For the past few months, we've been emphasizing that if we can maintain our momentum and play fluidly, we might be able to score a lot of goals."


Guardiola pointed out, "When you've just played an incredible game and then have to go away against a team that isn't even in contention for the title, it's very difficult. We've been through this before, and the key is to stay competitive in the last month. When you do that, it's a good season, and I'm more relaxed."


Speaking about veteran players mentoring younger teammates, Guardiola said, "This shows what it takes to build a team, including how they hug each other during matches, support each other in difficult times, and how they bounce back. The leaders are always communicating with the younger players, and this involves many aspects. For the younger players, it's a passing of the torch, teaching them how to handle these situations."


“We could have finished 5th or 6th in the league, and that’s something we have to deal with. As I’ve said before, the overall quality of the mid-to-lower table teams is improving, posing an incredible challenge to teams like Arsenal and Manchester City. Look at the growth of Aston Villa, Sunderland, and Brentford; the competition gets tougher every year.”


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