Pep Guardiola feels Manchester City are ‘serving for Wimbledon’

LONDON – Pep Guardiola has likened Manchester City’s final English Premier League game of the season to “serving for Wimbledon”, as they moved to the top of the table after beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 away on May 14.

City have 88 points, two clear of Arsenal, and will secure a record fourth successive league title if they beat West Ham United at home on May 19, the final day of this campaign.

“The tennis players say ‘the serve to win Wimbledon’ – the last match – is the most difficult,” Guardiola told the BBC.

“We know what we’re playing for. The tension is there. We have a day off, two days to prepare... we will do our best.”

City, who have kept up the pace in the title chase, are now unbeaten in 22 league games, while Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, who need to beat Everton at the Emirates Stadium, will be hoping for the best with things out of their control.

While Guardiola knows his side have experience at the business end of the season, he also admitted that his players will inevitably be affected by nerves this weekend, as they were against Spurs.

City won for the first time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League, but it was a far from vintage performance.

After Erling Haaland opened the scoring early in the second period, substitute goalkeeper Stefan Ortega had to make three crucial saves before the Norwegian striker netted again via a penalty in stoppage time.

Guardiola’s men have won eight straight Premier League games and are unbeaten from open play in any competition since Dec 6, but the manager was not totally pleased.

“They were playing for the consequences of the result. When you play football thinking about the consequences, you are going to lose the Premier League, you cannot perform at your best level,” warned Guardiola of City’s display.

“But they are human beings, so I can understand the pressure is there. It will be the same against West Ham.

“We will feel the pressure, there is still a job to do.”

Midfielder Rodri said City are ready to rewrite the record books once more by becoming the first side to win four consecutive English top-flight titles.

“We know it wasn’t our best performance, but we came here to win and that’s what we do,” he said.

“We know it is going to be tough but with our people, our crowd, we know we can make history.”

While it is looking good for City, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou was furious and appeared to question the club’s mentality after defeat ended his side’s hopes of finishing in the top four – Aston Villa secured fourth spot.

It was a fifth defeat in six games for Tottenham and the Australian was asked whether his side’s performance gave him confidence in the foundations being laid at the club.

“No, I think the last 48 hours has revealed to me that the foundations are fairly fragile, mate,” he said.

“That’s just what I think. I just think the last 48 hours have revealed a fair bit to me. That’s all right. It just means I’ve got to go back to the drawing board with some things.”

Asked whether his frustration was at the fans who seemed to be celebrating the fact that City – and not their north London rivals Arsenal – are now title favourites, Postecoglou left his audience guessing.

“You can make your own assessments of what’s happened,” said the Spurs boss, whose side need a point at Sheffield United to guarantee fifth place and a Europa League spot.

“I’m just not interested, mate. Maybe I’m out of step, but I just don’t care, I just want to win.

“I want to be successful at this football club, it’s why I was brought in. So what other people, how they want to feel, and what their priorities are, are of zero interest to me.” REUTERS, AFP