BEVERLY HILLS, February 25, (THEWILL) – Manchester City’s Manager, Pep Guardiola, has responded to the club’s critics, cheekily submitting that his team’s 19-game winning streak owed to the club’s huge war chest.
The Manager was playing off claims from those who often attributed every success by the club to the number of players it acquired due to having a virtually bottomless purse of cash.
Since City are on another ridiculous run of form, which has seen them dismantle clubs they have so far faced in the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League, it has again brought these claims to the fore.
The 50-year-old coach is no stranger to these accusations. He was a witness to the ridiculing of his decision to invest over £400m since 2016 on defenders during his time at City. He took his time to get in on the act after he watched his presently hard-to-beat charges run over Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 at the neutral UEFA ground, the Puskas Arena in Budapest on Wednesday.
In the post-match Champions League interview, Guardiola was asked what the key factor was for their ongoing 19-game unbeaten run. He wasted no time to reply, tongue-in-cheek: “We have a lot of money to buy a lot of incredible players,”
But, he did not stop there. “It is true, without good quality players, we cannot do it. The humanity of this group… The players are fantastic and have an incredible relationship. They play every game to think just win that game.
“Today, enjoy the night and then think about West Ham. When people talk about the second leg, the second leg is in three weeks so now the next target is West Ham. That is all I am concerned with.”
In a spending that had brought in no less than seven players to fit into the City defense, which Guardiola highly considers extremely vital to their successes, the manager’s latest acquisition was the impressive Ruben Dias, who starred in the win on Wednesday.
Dias cost the club funds in excess of £40m to become the most expensive defender in a list which also features Joao Cancelo, Nathan Ake, John Stones, Benjamin Mendy, Kyle Walker and Aymeric Laporte. Some may have not lived up to their billing, but Dias, Stones and Cancelo have all become integral parts in City’s recent dominance.
That recalibration of the backline has contributed to the consideration of the Etihad club as clear favourites to win a domestic treble and perhaps even the elusive Champions League trophy in an unusual season that started quite soberly for the blue side of Manchester.
Yet, this weekend, they can extend their streak to 20 games when they file out on Saturday against another high-flying EPL side, David Moyes’ West Ham United.
On their own, the Hammers have fought their way up to fourth in the Premier League standings, though they find themselves 14 points behind Guardiola’s side, who have, by the sheer consistency of their victories, opened up a ten-point gap at the top of the table to afford themselves some breathing space and clearly establish their title credentials.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
