5 months ago
Pep Guardiola has praised Manchester City for turning their shape astir to go nan best-performing Premier League squad successful 2025 and warned rivals they will amended erstwhile Rodri returns to afloat fitness.
Despite a uncommon trophyless season, City spell to Sunderland connected New Year’s Day pinch 2025’s champion points-per-game ratio, narrowly up of Arsenal, who played 2 much convention matches.
“At nan extremity of past season, what we person done, flooded nan problems that we had, 1 of nan champion seasons we person had arsenic a team,” Guardiola said. “The guys who were location each season, nan unit and backroom unit was arguably 1 of nan champion that we had. Because it’s really you flooded nan problems. In this perspective, now each clip erstwhile I bespeak connected what happened past season, I’m much proud than ever astir what we person done arsenic a club, really we handled nan bad, bad situations.”
Rodri, who completed 90 minutes successful nan Premier League doubly successful 2025, is disposable aft a hamstring injury. The midfielder missed astir of nan twelvemonth because of a cruciate ligament wounded sustained successful September 2024, which sparked a mediocre tally of shape for City, and further setbacks.
City beryllium 5 points down Arsenal pinch a crippled successful hand, having been 14 points disconnected nan apical astatine this constituent past year. They invested heavy past January, spending £172m connected signings.
“Without those players we wouldn’t beryllium successful nan Champions League this season,” Guardiola said. “I deliberation we would person been playing successful nan Conference [League] without those signings. Basically we didn’t person players for a long, agelong time, and nan infinitesimal pinch nan caller players and past pinch three-quarters of nan play gone others came back, we were nan champion squad successful nan Premier League successful nan past 10 to 15 games successful nan season. Sometimes you person to return a determination arsenic you don’t expect something.
“When we had each nan seasons arsenic a squad, we were competing for illustration we are doing this play and obviously, travel on, pinch Rodri we are a stronger team. There’s nary uncertainty astir that.”
This wintertime model is expected to beryllium quieter but a woody for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo is close to completion. The winger is keen connected a move to City, contempt liking from elsewhere. He played successful nan 2-2 tie astatine Chelsea connected Tuesday, creating 2 goals pinch agelong throws, a threat Guardiola has admitted is absent from his squad.
