Pep Guardiola admits linking up with Lionel Messi next season

Guardiola has not rulled out the possibility of linking up with Messi, speaking to REALSPORT.  He admitted that that there will be changes next season.

Guardiola had plenty to say about the football calendar recently, but the Manchester City boss admits the relentless nature of the schedule might have helped him survive as long as he has at the Etihad.

The Catalan is the second longest-serving manager in the Premier League behind Jurgen Klopp and only two managers at the 72 EFL clubs have lasted longer than Guardiola and Klopp in their roles.

Guardiola has been in the job seven years and 98 days when he takes his City side to Arsenal on Sunday, for what will be his 426th game in charge of the club. That is more than the 408 matches he managed combined during spells in charge of Barcelona and Bayern Munich and only Les McDowall has managed more games for the Blues, taking charge of 592 fixtures during his 13 years in charge from 1950 to 1963.

Such longevity is unusual in the modern game and Guardiola admits he has often wondered how his players have never got sick of him during his trophy-laden years in Manchester.

“It’s a good question for the players. I am asking this question many, many times for myself,” he said.

“‘Oh again, this guy is shouting at me and saying something again and again and again…’ That is why sometimes you have to refresh the squad, the players or move the manager.

“It’s an honour to be the second-longest serving manager right now behind Jurgen. That means we have done really, really well because the big clubs don’t wait.”

Guardiola has regularly criticised the game’s governing bodies for failing their duty of care to the players by creating an even more demanding schedule of games, with City’s participation in the 32-team Club World Cup scheduled for June and July 2025 the latest example.

But he does think that the nature of having a game every three days and the lack of time on the training ground helps to maintain his relationship with the players – because he sees so little of them.

“I will tell you something, when it’s a long week I think it will be more and more difficult to maintain that. But at the end, playing every three days, you don’t train,” he said.

“I’d love to be on the pitch and the grass, smell the grass and see the players do whatever they do. When I like the behaviour I compliment them. When they are flat, after that they will be in trouble with me.

It Is that time in the season when the world’s attention shifts to one particular city in anticipation of an exciting football game. This time the venue is London’s Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal will host English and European champions, Manchester City in a top of the table clash

Van De Ven’s Winner Against Luton Gives 10-Player Tottenham Temporary Lead

It is that time in the season when the world’s attention shifts to one particular city in anticipation of an exciting football game. This time the venue is London’s Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal will host English and European champions, Manchester City in a top of the table clash.

Defending champions, Manchester City, pipped Arsenal at the death to retain their crown ahead of the Gunners, who led the table for most of the season.

This season, Arsenal belief they have the talent in dept to upstage their more successful rivals, beginning with today’s show stopper. Arsenal Manager, Mikel Arteta, has called for the Gunners to change their Premier League losing streak against their rivals today.

Arsenal are without a league win against the treble-winners since 2015 and a defeat today would extend their losing run to 13 in a row since a draw six years ago.

If leaders, City, lose in London, it would mark the first time they have been beaten in successive league games since December 2018. Arteta highlighted that his side have broken winless streaks against other sides and called for his players to do the same against City.

“When I came here, I think it was 18 years at Old Trafford, 17 years at Stamford Bridge and we have since done it, so let’s change it,” Arteta said.

“My only worry is the quality of the opponent and that’s unquestionable and on Sunday we have to be at our best for 100 minutes. That’s what we can control and we need to focus.

“In these big games you need big players with talent who make it count. Duels are a big thing in a game which can go one way or another.”

Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, doubts the clash will have a significant impact on who wins the Premier League this season. The Gunners are unbeaten after seven matches of this campaign and lie one point behind City, who are bidding to bounce back from last weekend’s surprise 2-1 defeat at Wolves.

Guardiola, though, insisted this showdown being so early in the season places less of an emphasis on the title race, even if he regards Arsenal as one of their main rivals.

He said: “This will not define a lot. It will be different when they come here at the Etihad (at the end of March) – then it will depend on the situations we are in.”

Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou continued his scintillating start as Tottenham manager as Micky van de Ven’s instinctive finish secured a narrow 1-0 win over Luton at Kenilworth Road.

Yves Bissouma was sent off in the first half following two bookable offences, the second of which was an appalling dive not missed by referee John Brooks, but Spurs held on – and have now collected six wins and two draws from eight league games under Postecoglou.

At least until today when Arsenal and Manchester City meet at Emirates Stadium, Spurs moved top of the Premier League. In other games played yesterday, Scott Mctominay scored twice in stoppage time to lead Manchester United to victory Brentford at Old Trafford, Chelsea won 4-1 at Burnley, Everton crushed Bournemouth 3-0, while Fulham were 3-1 better than Sheffield United.