Pep Guardiola has rejected claims that rebuilding Manchester City is the most difficult task of his career, despite the club’s struggles in the Premier League and Champions League this season.
City, who face Tottenham on Wednesday, sit 20 points behind league leaders Liverpool following a 2-0 defeat to Arne Slot’s side over the weekend. They also suffered a 6-3 aggregate loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League knockout phase playoffs.
However, Guardiola, whose team has won six of the past seven Premier League titles, insists he is unfazed by the challenge of rejuvenating City after nearly a decade at the helm.
“We have done it already, so after nine years, it’s not the same as when we started. We have rebuilt the squad two or three times before, so it’s not the biggest challenge,” the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss said on Tuesday.
City made four signings in the January transfer window—Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico Gonzalez, and Vitor Reis—in response to injuries and a dip in form among key players.
Their record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been poor, with only two wins in their last eight visits across all competitions. Their most recent trip in October ended in a 2-1 defeat in the League Cup, kicking off a difficult spell that included a 4-0 home loss to Spurs.
Despite Tottenham sitting 12th in the table, Guardiola believes they are better than their results suggest. “They’re a fantastic team, the quality, individual quality, the rhythm they play, the intensity, the incredible runners, the transitions,” he said.
Erling Haaland remains doubtful for Wednesday’s match after missing the last two games with a knee injury. “Tonight, we will know after training,” Guardiola added. “I hope so, but I don’t know yet.”
