According to Pep Guardiola, Manchester City must win the Champions League to truly attain greatness.
However, he also emphasized the impressive accomplishment of winning three consecutive league titles. Guardiola’s team has won an impressive five titles in the last six years. He also praised Arsenal for providing a strong challenge to Manchester City. The coach emphasized that City’s league wins should be valued on their own merit.
WHAT HAPPENED?
After winning a third successive title with City, Guardiola said it was unfair that his side will only be hailed as one of the greatest teams ever if they win the Champions League. The Catalan hoisted his fifth crown in seven seasons with City after their 1-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday, having wrapped up the title on Saturday when Arsenal were beaten 1-0 at Nottingham Forest.
WHAT THEY SAID:
“The feeling I have is five Premier Leagues and still have the Champions League final. We won a lot but can’t deny that it can be unfair to have to win the Champions League to give value to what you’ve done,” the City coach told a press conference. “I know we will not be complete if we do not win the Champions League and sometimes playing with expression is so nice. If we are not able to do it, sooner or later we will, we are there so we have to try.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE:
Guardiola also paid tribute to title rivals Arsenal for making his team even more relentless, calling Mikel Arteta’s side “winners”. The Gunners took 50 points in the first half of the season but City came into their own after drawing 1-1 at Nottingham Forest in February, winning their next 12 games. “With the relationship I have with Mikel, congrats for what they’ve done, he’s brought them back to what Arsenal was in the past. It was a similar battle to Liverpool in previous seasons, they took us to our limits, our run of 12 games – after 50 points in the first leg [half of the season] they dropped some points and we were there. We were there and they felt it,” Guardiola added. “It’s a tendency to underestimate them, they are winners, we pushed them but they did exceptionally. I’d be proud of them, where they’ve come from. They have to sustain it. but they are winners, they made me think a lot what we had to do to beat them. Our relentlessness and refusal to give up, having to win each game knowing it would not be possible if we don’t.”
