Pep Guardiola hints at long-term Manchester City plans after making Premier League history vs Brentford | OneFootball

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has possibly given a subtle hint into his long-term managerial plans at the Etihad Stadium after Sunday’s narrow win over Brentford.

Guardiola and co climbed up to fifth place in the Premier League table ahead of the October international break as a ninth-minute Erling Haaland strike was sufficient to claim all three points over Keith Andrews and Brentford at the GTech Community Stadium.

City have avoided defeat since late August and have turned a corner since their 3-0 derby win over Manchester City in mid-September, with Erling Haaland in the form of his life and leading by example amid an increasingly mind-boggling scoring streak.

The Blues are undergoing a period of transition on and off the pitch after a crossroads summer that witnessed wholesale personnel changes in Guardiola’s squad as well as behind the scenes at the Etihad Stadium, marked predominantly by the appointment of Hugo Viana as sporting director and the notable exit of Kevin De Bruyne.

City made seven first-team signings over the course of their busies transfer window since 2017, with Jack Grealish, Manuel Akanji, Vitor Reis, Claudio Echeverri and Sverre Nypan all leaving on loan in a window that also saw the Blues bid farewell to former captain Kyle Walker, Ederson, Ilkay Gundogan, James McAtee and Scott Carson.

A thorough audit of the Manchester City first-team ranks ensued following Viana’s appointment as director of football, with club executives trimming the wage bill and streamlining a bloated squad to accommodate Guardiola’s recurring requests of working with a finely-tuned, cut-throat group of players.

Guardiola put an end to speculation around his Manchester City future by signing a two-year deal in the fall of 2024 that will keep the 54-year-old at the Etihad Stadium till the end of the 2026-27 season at the very least, with the Catalan open to extending what will then become a sensational 11-year spell in Manchester.

The Manchester City boss set a Premier League record after the Blues saw off Brentford in west London on Sunday – beating the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti and Arsene Wenger and becoming the fastest manager to record 250 English top-flight wins – in just 349 games.

Reflecting on yet another record as Manchester City manager after the win, Guardiola was asked how he is planning to celebrate the milestone. “I will invite all of them (the Manchester City squad and staff) to dinner,” the Spaniard said.

“I think it’s an honour to sit at the table with them, so it’s not bad. It’s 10 seasons, 250 victories is a lot. We started for one reason because we won a lot. I didn’t know but it’s nice. Now, let’s go for 250 more!”

City are enduring a period of change on the pitch and club executives will be assessing how the Blues get on this season in the backdrop of Guardiola’s most challenging season as Blues manager and significant investment made into the squad over the summer.

Guardiola and co return to Premier League action on October 18 against Everton, which will see Jack Grealish return to the Etihad Stadium after joining the Toffees on a season-long loan in the summer to revitalise his career and force his way into the England squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.