Tag: Pep Guardiola

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Guardiola: Haaland “not stupid enough” to leave Manchester City for Barca

Pep Guardiola has dismissed rumours linking Erling Haaland with a move to Barcelona, insisting the prolific striker is “not stupid enough” to consider leaving Manchester City after penning a 10-year contract extension.

Haaland, who has already scored 11 goals in eight games this season, recently committed his long-term future to the Premier League champions.

Reports in Spain had claimed Barcelona president Joan Laporta was targeting the 25-year-old as part of his re-election campaign, but Guardiola was quick to ridicule the speculation.

“He Isn’t stupid enough” – Guardiola

Speaking ahead of City’s weekend fixture, Guardiola said Haaland’s decision to stay reflected his ambition and intelligence.

“I think Erling isn’t stupid enough to sign something he doesn’t want to accomplish, that is for sure,” he said.

“But it’s football, who knows what will happen? Nobody knows. What I do know is that he has a long contract here, and he’s doing really well and scoring a lot of goals.”

The Spanish manager, who spent four years managing Barcelona, admitted he understood why his former club would be interested in a player of Haaland’s calibre.

“Every club dreams of Haaland”

Guardiola added that Laporta’s admiration for Haaland was only natural, given the Norwegian’s extraordinary impact.

“Can you tell me one club that wouldn’t dream of Erling Haaland?” he asked.

“I understand Barcelona dream of him, and so would every club in the world. If he weren’t with us, it would be a dream for Manchester City to have him.”

The 53-year-old praised Haaland’s integration into the team, crediting his teammates for creating the opportunities that allow him to shine.

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Haaland fires Man City to victory as Guardiola hits 250 wins

Erling Haaland’s fine scoring run continued as Manchester City edged Brentford 1-0 to hand Pep Guardiola his 250th Premier League win.

Guardiola reaches landmark in record time

Guardiola became only the 16th manager to reach 250 wins with a single club, achieving the feat in just 349 matches, 74 games faster than any other manager in league history.

Haaland’s decisive strike and Rodri injury blow

Haaland sealed the win early, muscling past Sepp van den Berg to control Josko Gvardiol’s looping cross before calmly slotting beyond Caoimhin Kelleher.

The goal was his third this week and 18th in just 11 appearances for club and country this season.

City controlled proceedings but were forced to protect their narrow lead for over 80 minutes.

Their victory was dampened by concern for Rodri, who limped off after 21 minutes. The midfielder, still regaining full sharpness after last season’s ACL injury, faces another spell of uncertainty ahead of the international break.

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Martinelli rescues Arsenal with stoppage-time equaliser after Haaland opener for Man City

Gabriel Martinelli struck a dramatic late equaliser to salvage a point for Arsenal in their 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Emirates.

The Brazilian forward’s delicate lob in stoppage time cancelled out Erling Haaland’s ninth-minute strike, denying Pep Guardiola’s side a statement away win in the Premier League.

Haaland strikes early

City made the perfect start when Haaland finished a sweeping move he had initiated, slotting past David Raya for his 13th goal of the season.

The Norwegian forward looked back to his devastating best, troubling Arsenal’s backline with his physical presence.

Mikel Arteta’s selection choices left Arsenal sluggish and lacking creativity in the first half, with Viktor Gyokeres ineffective up front and summer signing Mikel Merino caught out in midfield.

Guardiola, meanwhile, named the same starting XI for a third successive match, a first in four years.

Arsenal rally after changes

The introductions of Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze at half-time transformed Arsenal’s performance.

Saka’s delivery and Eze’s sharpness gave the hosts new momentum, with Martin Zubimendi and Eze both testing Gianluigi Donnarumma.

City, however, remained dangerous on the counter. Jeremy Doku set up Haaland for a one-on-one, only for Raya to deny him.

Guardiola then shut down the contest with defensive changes, reverting to a back five as time ticked away.

Martinelli delivers late drama

With City seemingly closing out the game, Arsenal found a breakthrough in stoppage time.

Eze’s lofted ball unlocked the defence, and Martinelli lifted a clever finish over Donnarumma, the first goal the Italian conceded in City colours.

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Guardiola hails Arteta, labels Arsenal Europe’s toughest test

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has described Mikel Arteta as “extraordinary” and ranked Arsenal among the toughest opponents in Europe ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal, who finished as City’s closest challengers in recent seasons, are unbeaten in their last five encounters with the side.

The last meeting between both clubs saw the Gunners claim a stunning 5-1 victory in north London just seven months ago.

Ahead of the new campaign, Arteta strengthened his squad with high-profile additions including Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze, a move Guardiola believes has made Arsenal even stronger.

Praise for Arteta and Arsenal’s growth

Speaking in his prematch press conference, Guardiola hailed his former assistant: “Hopefully, it is an unbelievable squad, and this season we can make more of a challenge because Mikel is an extraordinary manager.

“They increase the squad in four or five transfer windows. It is one of the toughest opponents you can find right now in Europe.”

Guardiola also admitted City lost focus in the closing stages of their last meeting: “The last 15–20 minutes were a disaster. We forgot to do what we have to do. After that, it was easy for Arsenal.”

Arsenal’s rising strength

The City boss highlighted the Gunners’ all-round qualities, including their attacking pace and efficiency from set pieces under coach Nicolas Jover.

“For me, it is the most solid team; they don’t make mistakes. They have pace up front. They have set pieces with Nico, who was here. In every department we know the quality they have,” he added.

Guardiola admitted City must adapt quickly on Sunday and improve from last season, especially in game management during the final minutes.

Strong start to the season

Arsenal head into the fixture in strong form, winning four of their opening five matches across all competitions, including a Champions League triumph over Athletic Club.

They have scored 11 goals and conceded just once, proving how tough their defense has been so far.

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Man City end pursuit of €100m Real Madrid star Rodrygo

Manchester City have reportedly pulled out of the race to sign Real Madrid forward Rodrygo Goes, insist on keeping Savinho.

Pep Guardiola’s side had identified the 23-year-old as a potential replacement for Savinho, who was attracting strong interest from Tottenham.

However, Spurs’ reluctance to meet City’s valuation for Savinho has forced the Premier League champions to shut the door on his departure, and in turn, on Rodrygo’s possible arrival.

But with the winger now staying at the Etihad, Rodrygo’s prospects of joining City have collapsed.

Liverpool and Arsenal remain the other major contenders for the Madrid star, though both have conditions attached to a move.

Liverpool are monitoring Rodrygo as a fallback option should their pursuit of Alexander Isak fail, while Arsenal’s interest hinges on whether they can offload players and conclude a deal for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze.

Rodrygo, who has been central to Real Madrid’s attack in recent seasons, may now be forced to weigh his options, especially after Madrid boss, Xabi Alonso waved off his transfer “noise”.

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EPL: Man City new signings steal show in 4-0 win over Wolves

Manchester City opened their Premier League campaign with a dominant 4-0 win over Wolves, as debutants Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki made an immediate impact in Pep Guardiola’s new-look side.

Reijnders, signed in the summer to help fill the void left by Kevin De Bruyne’s move to Napoli, scored once and was instrumental in two other goals during an impressive first outing.

Cherki, introduced in the second half, sealed the win with a fine finish just eight minutes after coming on.

The result provided Guardiola’s men with a bright start after last season’s struggles.

There was a moment of concern in stoppage time when Nico Gonzalez landed awkwardly, though he was able to continue after receiving treatment.

Meanwhile, Wolves supporters paid tribute throughout the game to former striker Diogo Jota, applauding and chanting his name.

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Pep Guardiola Signs New Two-Year Contract at Manchester City Until 2027

Pep Guardiola will be incharge of Manchester City till 2027.
This comes after he signed a new two-year contract to extend his stay as Manchester City coach, the club announced Thursday.

The Spaniard manager, 53, agreed to a deal that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2027. His contract was due to expire at the end of the current campaign but he decided to extend his contract.
The extension means Guardiola will celebrate 10 years at City in the summer of 2026, having arrived from Bayern Munich in 2016.
Guardiola, who has won 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League while at the Etihad, admitted that while he had been thinking of leaving at the end of the season, City’s recent four-game losing run was partly a factor in his decision to extend his stay at the club.
“Since the beginning of the season, I was thinking a lot, there were some moments, I have to be honest, I thought this should be the last one because every one is…” he told the club’s website.
 
“But at the same time, when the situation comes and the problems we had in the last month, I felt now is not the time to leave, I would let the club down and I had the feeling I had to do it.
 
“Don’t ask me the reason why. Maybe the four defeats were the reason why and I felt I cannot leave. I felt the club still want me or had the fact that we were together and that’s the reason why we sign.
 
“Manchester City means so much to me. This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.
 
“That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
 
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and of course the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
 
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much. Hopefully now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”

 
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and of course the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
 
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much. Hopefully now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
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EPL: I Wanted To Leave Man City – Guardiola Opens Up

Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, has admitted he had planned for this season to be his last with the Premier League champions.

But he refused to “let the club down” following a run of four consecutive defeats.

On Thursday night, City announced that Guardiola has signed a two-year contract extension.

This will take the 53-year-old’s reign to over a decade.

Guardiola has however said he expected to leave next summer, but a decisive display of commitment was required during City’s tricky run of form to send a message.

He said: “Since the beginning of the season I’ve been thinking a lot.

“I thought that (this season) should be the last one.

“But with the problems we had in the last month, I felt that now is not the time to leave. I would have let the club down.”

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LaLiga: Why Guardiola Once Told Messi To ‘Shut Up’ At Barcelona

Rafael Marquez, a former Barcelona defender, has recalled the time when the then-manager Pep Guardiola told Lionel Messi to “shut up”.

The incident happened after a five-a-side bust-up in training.

Marquez played for Barca between 2003 and 2010 and lined up alongside Messi during that stint.

On one occasion, the two players had an angry confrontation, after Marquez expressed his anger at Messi for holding onto the ball for too long.

It has now emerged that Guardiola stepped in to defend the Mexican and put Messi in his place.

Marquez said, as quoted by The Mirror: “Yes, in a five-a-side game [we clashed].

“He was on my team and of course, Messi had the ball. He had the goal to shoot and he didn’t shoot.

“We were losing and we said to him: ‘Messi, shoot, Messi, score a goal’. Nothing.

“Until I got p***ed off and told him: ‘Messi, let go of the ball, bro.’

“So he approached and answered me. Pep arrived and said: ‘Messi, shut up. You have to respect Rafa’s hierarchy.’”

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EPL: Why I Have Never Been Sacked As Manager – Guardiola Speaks

Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, has explained why he has never been sacked.

He said he has never been sacked throughout his managerial career because his teams “win a lot of games.”

Guardiola was reacting to the fact that 12 Premier League bosses have lost their jobs this season.

Graham Potter and Brendan Rodgers were the latest to be fired last Sunday.

Potter was dismissed as Chelsea boss after six months in charge, with the Blues sitting in 11th place in the Premier League.

His sacking came hours after Rodgers’ four-year stint at Leicester ended with the Foxes wallowing in the relegation zone.

Guardiola decided to step down from his previous jobs at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

“I will tell you a secret. We win games. If we don’t win games, I would be sacked. It’s not because my hair is better than the other ones. I’m not sacked because we win a lot of games,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.

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