Pep Guardiola warns his players that title rivals Arsenal can ‘destroy’ them
The champions were 2-0 down at home to Tottenham but rallied in the second half.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola questioned his players’ desire after the 4-2 win over Tottenham and said Arsenal will “destroy” them in the Premier League title race if they continue to play as they are.
City had to perform a rescue act against Spurs as they came from 2-0 down at half-time to win and keep hopes of defending their title alive.
Quickfire goals just before the break from Dejan Kulusevski and Emerson Royal had given the visitors an unlikely lead but Guardiola’s men hit back through Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland and Riyad Mahrez’s double.
“We are far away from the team we had in previous seasons,” Guardiola said. “Do you think this comeback will happen every time? It won’t.
“How do I get the fire back? It’s my duty, my job. I want my fans back. I don’t recognise my team. I’m not going to tell you what I said.
“We are a happy flowers team. I don’t want to be a happy flowers, I want to beat Arsenal, but if we play in that way Arsenal will destroy us, they will beat us. I want to see my team.
“The players want it, they train really good but there is something that is here in the clouds. You cannot express.
“And I say this after 4-2. I am incredibly happy, I will sleep tonight like a baby.
“I have experience. I have won a lot. It means every day I see things that you don’t see because you are not there.
“I see it. It is not one single player, everyone is there. It is everyone, as much as we realise it, we will come back.”
Their boss Antonio Conte – in a repeat of much of last season – appeared to raise doubts over his long-term future at the club.
The Italian, who has seen three close friends die in recent months, is out of contract in the summer and no fresh deal looks imminent.
“This situation is my personal situation and then will be the time to make the right decision for me, for the future, for my family, but this situation doesn’t affect the work and doesn’t affect the team.
“I’m really focused. About this aspect I’m an animal because I’m really focused.
“Then for sure we see.
“I’m totally into the new situation and know that my task is to be part of this process and try to, with a team in transition, to start to become solid and to build a solid foundation and try to build a team ready to fight to win.”
