Packed fixture list gives Manchester City ‘focus’ advantage over Arsenal: Pep Guardiola
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Pep Guardiola's side face a breathless schedule for the remainder of the season thanks to their progress in the Champions League and FA Cup.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Pep Guardiola has suggested that fighting on multiple fronts could give Manchester City a “focus” advantage over Arsenal in the Premier League title chase.
The Gunners are in the running for only the Premier League while City are also contending for FA Cup and Champions League glory.
Guardiola’s side play Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final, second leg next Wednesday before facing Sheffield United in an FA Cup semi-final three days later.
Ahead of City’s Premier League clash against second-from-bottom Leicester City on Saturday, Guardiola said on Friday: “Sometimes when we play games every few days we are in rhythm, and that helps our focus.
“Sometimes when we’ve played one game, we’ve lost focus. When you play Saturday and then Tuesday or Wednesday, the mind of the players is (on football).
“One game a week, you have two days off, you have to come back, get it back, you lose the feeling. The players do everything to keep going.”
Leicester’s battle to maintain their Premier League status is not “insurmountable”, caretaker manager Dean Smith said on Friday, pointing to a congested relegation scrap featuring nearly half of the top-flight’s 20 clubs.
Smith took over on Monday from Brendan Rodgers, who left the club by mutual consent earlier in April.
Leicester are among several sides facing potential relegation, with bottom side Southampton and 12th-placed Crystal Palace separated by 10 points.
The East Midlands club will face four of these eight teams in the league in coming weeks, with all four matches crucial for their survival.
“The points are there to be won, to grab, to get out of the bottom three,” said Smith.
“It’s been a season I’ve not seen before in terms of nine teams involved in the relegation battle. The more we can keep in that, it’s not insurmountable to get out.
“I know the players, I’ve come across them before and come up against them. I felt they just needed a lift. I felt confident we could do that.
“We’re trying to put smiles on the faces and that should lift their confidence very quickly.”
Asked if he could be a candidate for the managerial position on a permanent basis, Smith replied: “It’s not a conversation we’ve had.
“It’s an interim job. I was watching the Masters in Augusta last week and now I’m back in England. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Leicester City named former Aston Villa and Norwich City boss Dean Smith as caretaker manager until the end of the season.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Smith will face a stern test in his first game in charge at reigning champions City, who are second in the league and have won nine straight games in all competitions.
Leicester will be without Harvey Barnes and Ricardo Pereira, but Smith said midfielder Youri Tielemans, who has been sidelined since February due to an ankle injury, is “available for selection”.
City’s Phil Foden remains sidelined as he recovers from appendicitis surgery.
Meanwhile, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is delighted and honoured to return to the dugout at Stamford Bridge this weekend.
But he knows they have a tough task against Brighton & Hove Albion as he seeks his first win in his second stint at the club.
Lampard, who took over as caretaker manager last week,
Frank Lampard has overseen two losses away at Wolves in the Premier League and at Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final, first leg.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“I’m delighted to be back and the honour never falls short. I loved every minute and I’m happy to be back,” said Lampard ahead of Saturday’s game.
“But the overriding feeling is to focus on the job. I’ll appreciate being back, but I’ll have my serious face on.”
However, Kalidou Koulibaly will not be available after the centre-back injured his hamstring against Real.
Lampard hailed his seventh-placed opponents, saying: “Brighton are a fantastic model. You can track their last five or six years and see good progression from the Championship to the Premier League.
“Chelsea’s path is a different one and we’ve been successful for a long time.
“There’s now a transition between owners. When you’re in a process, in a project, you’ll have to dig in.” REUTERS
