Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed confidence that his squad is poised for a strong season, citing noticeable improvements in performance since the start of pre-season and the Club World Cup. However, the Catalan coach stressed the need for consistency as the campaign gets underway.
City began the Premier League season with a 3-0 win over Wolves at Molineux but were brought back down to earth with a home defeat to Tottenham, leaving Guardiola keen to see his side recover when they face Brighton ahead of the international break. Despite the mixed start, he remains upbeat about the team’s trajectory.
“The way we are training and the way we are competing. We have to improve, but there are things that I would say are a sign. When I see these things in games, like in the United States, I like it,” Guardiola said. “Even against Spurs I saw many things that I like my teams to do. I want to do some of them much, much better, but that is completely normal at this stage of the season.”
City will return from the international break to face Manchester United, kicking off a busy run of domestic and European fixtures. The first stage of the Champions League begins with a home match against Napoli on 18 September, with a schedule that could see the team play twice almost every week until January.
Guardiola also noted the challenge of integrating five new signings into a squad that has adjusted its style after finishing third in the Premier League last season and leaving without a trophy. “Maybe in two months I will say how wrong I was, but right now I have seen, since we travelled to the States for the World Cup, I have seen things that I like,” he added.
While Guardiola remains measured, the early signs suggest Manchester City could be building momentum as they look to challenge on all fronts this season.
