“It’s simple” – Pep Guardiola sends clear selection warning to Manchester City stars | OneFootball

Manchester City’s stars will need to compete intensely with one another in order to secure a consistent starting berth in Pep Guardiola’s line-up, the Catalan has warned.

Guardiola made the comments prior to City’s 2-0 victory over Everton in the Premier League, secured through a second-half brace from Erling Haaland at the Etihad Stadium marking another step forward in the push to climb the league table before the next international break.

However, the Catalan tactician’s words served as a timely reminder that maintaining high performance levels is the only route to sustained inclusion in his hotly-contested starting eleven.

Throughout his tenure at City, Guardiola has built a culture defined by relentless internal competition from academy graduates such as Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly, to established international names including Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku. The Catalan has never shied away from rotating in order to ensure motivation and standards remain at their peak.

That philosophy has become particularly evident this season, with City balancing multiple competitions alongside the physical challenges of a packed schedule. Guardiola’s comments reflect the ongoing expectation that players cannot rely on reputation or past performances to retain their spot, particularly as absentees move closer to full fitness.

Speaking during a recent press conference, Pep Guardiola was quizzed for his thoughts on the important of the likes of Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, and Nico O’Reilly setting a high standard of performance before injured stars return to duties.

“That is the point; when you have fit [players] and they have to compete [among] themselves. Jeremy was unbelievable this season, against Brentford he didn’t play,” Guardiola pointed out.

“At the end they have to compete and you have to decide, at the end all of the players it’s between them and their excuses. And they have to choose. They have to choose, ‘OK, me to get better or the excuses I put on all the time’. It’s simple.

“At the end if they want to compete and do the benefit… Of course everyone has their own problems and their own focus and families and stuff, but there is one target, and it’s the team to win games. All the guys can do it, it’s fine.

“I score three goals every game, you don’t worry that you’ll play every single game. Don’t worry. I score three games, or you’re the best defender or best- you will play. When you have excuses you cannot improve. That’s why.”

Pep Guardiola continued, “One of the reasons why we are successful is because of the excuses in this club or with me, I never appeared. We have momentums, can complain about these and that, it’s fine, but… And it’s good that they have to compete with each other.

“Whenever we are in the stands and see Jeremy’s and Nico’s and see all of them playing good, they are not stupid. They know, ‘Wow, this is the standard, this is the level, I have to play good, otherwise I will not play.’ So it’s simple.”

Pep Guardiola’s message comes at a pivotal stage of City’s season, with fixtures piling up and selection dilemmas intensifying across several positions. His remarks underline a broader point he has made repeatedly in recent weeks, that City’s success relies on internal hunger and accountability rather than external motivation.

Looking ahead, that message will resonate with players returning from injury or looking to force their way back into contention, and with the likes of Doku, O’Reilly, and Foden having all been in strong form of late, Guardiola’s warning suggests maintaining that level week in, week out is the only way to secure regular football.