- Pep Guardiola has insisted Man City must win every single game in the Premier League run-in
- City travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday after a 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final win vs Liverpool
- The Blues are chasing a domestic treble & remain in the Premier League title race against Arsenal
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has delivered a clear message to his squad ahead of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Stamford Bridge.
The rallying call comes at a pivotal moment in City’s season, with Pep Guardiola‘s side returning to league duty off the back of a commanding 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool last weekend – a result that set two historic FA Cup records and maintained City’s quest for a domestic treble in their first full season under sporting director Hugo Viana.
Manchester City won the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal at Wembley last month, their first trophy in two seasons, and have booked an FA Cup semi-final against Southampton at the national stadium later this month.
Predicted Starting Line-Up: Chelsea vs Manchester City (Premier League)
However, it is in the Premier League where the margin for error is smallest, with Arsenal holding a nine-point lead at the top of the table and City unable to afford further slip-ups if they are to win a fifth league title in six seasons by once again usurping the Gunners in the run-in.
Guardiola sets the tone ahead of Chelsea clash
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Guardiola has admitted there is zero margin for error for Manchester City in their last eight games of the Premier League campaign.
“We have to win every single game,” the 55-year-old said ahead of Sunday’s trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, who will see vice-captain and midfielder Enzo Fernandez miss the clash with a disciplinary sanction.
This weekend’s trip to west London represents City’s first league outing since the international break and comes at a time when momentum is firmly with them after consecutive victories over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final and Liverpool in the FA Cup.
Chelsea, under head coach Liam Rosenior, enter the fixture having thrashed Port Vale 7-0 in the FA Cup quarter-final at the weekend, though they had lost each of their previous four matches prior to that result – failing to score in three of them.
City have not lost to Chelsea in any competition since the 2021 UEFA Champions League final in Porto and will be quietly confident of extending that run on Sunday afternoon.
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What is the wider context for City’s season run-in?
City’s recent form has been a far cry from the inconsistency that plagued the early months of the season, with assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders having already called on the squad to push Arsenal all the way in the title race as the Gunners themselves show signs of faltering.
With Erling Haaland back in prolific form following his hat-trick against Liverpool, Rayan Cherki providing invention in the final third and the defensive unit looking increasingly assured with Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi at its heart, City are building towards the business end of the campaign in formidable shape.
Off the pitch, speculation continues to swirl over Guardiola’s own future at the club and Rodri’s contract situation, with a summer of significant change on the horizon.
For now, though, Guardiola’s focus is unambiguous and his message to the dressing room ahead of a defining Sunday in west London is loud and clear.
