Embargoed Press Conference: Pep Guardiola makes Arsenal and Liverpool spending joke | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has previewed Manchester City’s trip to Arsenal as part of his debrief from the 2-0 win over Napoli at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday night.

The Manchester City side have put together a duo of strong performances and results since returning to action following the September international break, defeating Manchester United in the Premier League and the Italian top-flight title holders in the Champions League.

It was Erling Haaland and Phil Foden largely at the centre of both wins, with complimentary excellence from Jeremy Doku, as the Norwegian striker scored three goals across the two matches, and a goal a piece for either other player.

Pep Guardiola will be hoping that the confidence built in those two sets of 90 minutes will go a long way in making his Manchester City side believe that they are capable of securing all three points at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

However, the Catalan tactician has his work cut out given the narrow timeframe between the conclusion of the win over Napoli and kick-off in North London, jokingly telling reporters that he will be organising a hike in the mountains as preparation.

Here is every word taken out of the embargoed section from the Manchester City manager at the Etihad Stadium from Thursday night!

On Manchester City’s plans for the next two days before Arsenal: “We are going to go hiking in the mountains. We are going to do that in these two days. I don’t know; tomorrow is recovery, the players that have injuries are there. Rest, rest, rest, rest, and energy for Sunday.”

On whether he has spoken to anyone – the Premier League or UEFA – about the schedule: “Don’t go for that side. It’s not necessary.”

On whether Rodri is capable of starting three games of such intensity this week in a row: “It’s a good question; I don’t know yet. But he was so smart. I know the result was not over, 1-0 is always tricky, but if he doesn’t feel good, always we try to talk. You have to sustain. And we felt that if he’s not comfortable, and it’s better.

“We’ll see day by day, but what’s important is that he’s played already two games. Yesterday, for example, the training session he didn’t feel much comfortable, didn’t train good, but said, ‘No, no I will be fine tomorrow’. And he played extraordinary like Rodri is.

“With him on the pitch we feel more comfortable. But of course, he’s come from a tough, tough injury, we have to be alert, and we will decide on Sunday how does he feel.”

On whether he has rewatched the 5-1 defeat to Arsenal from last season: “The game last season we started like it happened many times last season, an Under-14 team, we gave away a thousand million goals. And after we were, during a lot of the time, pretty good considering how we was last season. And the last 15, 20 minutes was a disaster.

“We forgot to do what we had to do, and everyone doing there, and after that Arsenal, it was easy for them. Hopefully this season we can make a little bit more of a challenge in the last years, because Mikel [Arteta] is an extraordinary manager, and what they’ve done in increasing the squad in these four, five transfer windows…

“It’s an unbelievable squad, and an unbelievable team – it’s one of the toughest opponents you can find right now in Europe. And we’ll see what we have to do, and which players are fit, and we’ll try to compete and be a better team than what we was last season, especially in the last 20, 25 minutes.”

On whether those disastrous spells are now gone and out of this Manchester City team: “You should have asked me after Brighton, 10 days ago. I know what the people say, we were not good, really. I know my team when its consistent because when you win six Premier Leagues it’s because you have been a MACHINE, a consistent team! And for that, we have to prove more.

“But of course we arrived in a week against [Manchester] United, against Napoli, and now Arsenal – it’s not, I would say, an easy week. But in the Premier League, always its like that. What’s important is the feeling, the vibe of the team, the body language especially, I’m just focussed on that.

“The kindness and the body language of the team has grown up, and I’m really pleased for that, and hopefully we can… Win or lose, always we’ll try, but when you see the team is in a good vibe, that is what we have to try to do.”

On the importance of a win against Arsenal and moving level on points with them with a win: “Listen, it’s the fifth game of the season! Come on…”

On whether it would put a different complexion on the start of the season: “Sir Alex Ferguson, when I arrived here, said to Brian Kidd, ‘In the Premier League, after Boxing Day, stay close to the top-four. And after that, you can think about it’. Last season, after Boxing Day, we were… in another country.

“So that’s why, go today, and we’ll see what happens. There are many games. For experience, in the six Premier Leagues [titles], I think four or five we were in December, January behind Liverpool, and behind Arsenal. And at the end, we won it. So that’s why, it’s see the team growing up – that is only my concern right now.

“See the team make a step forward day by day. We are not going to win the Premier League on Sunday, we are not going to lose the Premier League on Sunday. So we see the team, that we are better than last season there, and we are better and continue a little bit many good things that we have done in these two games, and continue with that.”

On whether Rodri is getting back to a level of confidence with regards to his fitness and injury avoidance: “Not yet. Confidence he has because he has his own self-confidence, so so high. Always I learned with the greatest, greatest players I ever trained in my managerial career – even as a football player – what I see is here [in the mind]. And here they are incredibly self-confident and Rodri is that. But the knee is completely different to how you think.

“And the knee needs his process. As much as he’s patient with that, and we are patient with him, he will be back, because he’s being there in the middle, knowing exactly to read exactly what we have to do, Rodri is on another level. It’s a bit like Phil [Foden], what we talked about before, last season and the best player in the world, it was Rodri and we didn’t have it.

“So having him back is important and we try to not do what happened in the States – where he was injured again, and injured again, and injured again. And that will be more difficult for all of us, for him to come back to his best.”

On Arsenal’s statement through their transfer spending: “It is what it is; they decided to do it. Only I want to say to my friend, Mikel Arteta, if he wins the title it will just be because of spending, not because he worked a lot. Like Liverpool! If Arne [Slot] wins again, it will be because he spent a lot of money, right? Because it’s not just Man City that it’s happened right? So, all of them.

“Listen, for many, many years, every club can do whatever he wants! You know? I know how we have been treated is completely different, but what he wants to spend is because he wants it, and it’s fine! Then only thing I can say is they have been wise, they spent what they believe they can do, to compete against the best teams in the Premier League, in Europe, and they reached that level.

“So he found a team in that way, a club, and step by step, window by window, step by step, Arsenal is getting better. So last season, in Europe, made an incredible step forward, and for me its the most solid team – they don’t make mistakes at the back, and its an incredibly solid team, they have pace up front, of course set pieces with Nico Jover – he was here – so in every department its, WHAT A TEAM! In every department!

“But we know it. Every team is better, and better, and better and I know the quality that all of them have.”