Guardiola and his men surprisingly surrendered the EPL title to Liverpool last season after four dominant seasons.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has revealed why his team failed to win the Premier League title for the fifth consecutive time last season, admitting that his players didn’t reach their normal standard.
He made this known at the pre-match press briefing of his team’s league match against Sunderland at the Etihad on Saturday.
Following a dominant four seasons, Man City surprisingly surrendered the EPL title to Liverpool last season, as Arne Slot claimed the trophy in his very first attempt.
While addressing factors responsible for missing out on the 2024/2025 season, Guardiola acknowledged the relentless nature of the schedule in the Premier League, adding that it puts clubs under pressure and causes players to suffer injuries.
He, however, concurred that his team failed to perform when expected, noting that he understands teams need to do better to win the title.
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While addressing journalists, Guardiola said: “It is not good. When you play better, you run less. But it shows good spirit, that is a good point.
“Last season, when we could have run, we didn’t run. Our level was not good, and that was all the time.
“I’m not naive enough to understand that you have to do better, but at the same time I am an incredibly positive and optimistic person, and I want to see the good things we have done.”
Ahead of this weekend’s matches, Pep Guardiola’s side sit second in the Premier League, five points behind league leaders Arsenal.
However, a win for his team and a loss for the Gunners will take them within two points of the north London club.
