City hold a comfortable 4-0 lead heading into today’s Champions League last-16 second leg tie against Swiss side Basel at the Etihad Stadium.
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The win against Chelsea ensured that they maintained their 15-point lead over rivals Manchester United.
“Now we can say we won one title but it is not good for us comparing with that team”.
The 27-year-old is demonstrating the form that prompted Guardiola to make him his first signing at the Etihad Stadium and continues to impress in a more defensive role in the absence of Fernandinho.
“We have a certain pride”, Basel coach Raphael Wicky said, “and against a team that plays every three days and is beating everyone, it’s very special”. Not just for me and my career, but because of Ferran and Txiki’s plans to carry on their strategy with Pep Guardiola, who they had worked with at Barcelona for a long time.
So which City men weren’t at their best tonight?
Pep Guardiola promised that his Manchester City side will not suffer another surprise Champions League defeat in their “scary” quarter-final tie to come.
Ilkay Gundogan concurred with his manager.
A place in the quarter finals was never in doubt thanks to the 4-0 first-leg victory in Switzerland three weeks ago, but City allowed Basel to capitalise on their complacency and record a famous win.
Guardiola, who has won countless major honours during spells with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, acknowledges that he must keep expectation levels in check. “We are still on a journey”. We have more potential to achieve.
‘I am bringing the shirt back to my son. “I accept the physicality in England”.
“Being knocked out by Monaco last season hurt so we wanted to put things right this season”. Guardiola guarded against complacency as he tried to avert a repeat.
“We start again from zero”.
Arsenal remain in the Europa League despite a recent loss to Ostersund. “In football, anything can happen”.
Guardiola also said Martin Glenn did not understand what the yellow ribbon he wears represents when the Football Association chief executive compared it with the swastika and Robert Mugabe. It could have come with greater consequences in another competition. Zinchenko on Moses, it’s orange – could be yellow, could be red.
City were able to play a record breaking number of passes in a Premier League game, and Gundogan was allowed to set the new standard for individual balls, reports the Daily Mail.
Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph have all returned to training with Benjamin Mendy likely to miss out the clash.
Right at the top of the table there’s no doubt that Premier League title is going to Manchester City whilst at the bottom West Brom look nearly certainties to go down and then it’s nigh on impossible to pick the bones from the rest of the relegation battle.
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Some of his premier players should be granted a rest.
