2026-03-09 11:38:24
Pep Guardiola is targeting a strong end to the season for Manchester City.
City progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle on Saturday (07.03.26) and the coach hopes that his side can continue their quest for a historic quadruple – despite their fate in the Premier League title race being out of their own hands.
Guardiola said: “We have experience of that in the trebles, quadruples. You have to arrive in the decisive moment of the season with the players in that position.
“It’s a pity that the battle for the Premier League in not in our hands, so that is a big drop against Nottingham (Forest), but I don’t think much.
“It’s just OK, now recover, go to Madrid, make a good selection and hopefully we can behave – I’m not talking win or lose, it’s behave in the way who we are.
“That’s always my focus when we play in the biggest stages against big teams. It’s not win or lose, it’s be who we are as an individual, as a team and after that, you can win or lose, you never know, but that is the main mentality I have in my mind.”
Guardiola is aware that Newcastle are following the same path as City following their Saudi-backed takeover in 2021 but explained how difficult it is for a club to fight in multiple competitions.
He said of the Magpies: “For the last years since the new owners and especially with Eddie Howe, of course it’s a team to be there, a Champions League team. Look where they are.
“They maybe have a lot of injuries this season as well and play every three days, four days, three days, four days and maybe they are not used [to that] for 10 years or 12 like City right now.
“The only problem in today’s modern football, especially in the Premier League, is just the fact when you play in all competitions, you have to have your players fit. When you don’t have that, nobody can survive, it’s impossible.
“When you have injuries, it’s pray and survive and arrive at the end in the position that we are.”
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