Pep Guardiola has vowed that Manchester City will return stronger next season despite their struggles in the current campaign. The defending champions, who have won the Premier League title four times in a row, now sit 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool and are teetering on the edge of Champions League elimination after a 4-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
Speaking ahead of City’s crucial clash against Chelsea on Saturday, Guardiola acknowledged the team’s dip in form but remained confident in their ability to recover.
“We are not in the best position right now, absolutely,” said Guardiola. “I’m not blind to our standards and level. Everyone knows we haven’t been at our best.”
However, the Spaniard defended his squad, praising their long-term success since his arrival in 2016. “This is still a fantastic group of players, as we’ve shown for the last seven, eight, nine years. A couple of bad months doesn’t change that,” he said.
Guardiola, who has claimed 18 trophies with City, admitted he had foreseen the challenges this season but is already looking forward to a comeback. “I saw this coming two or three months ago. This season, we are going to suffer. It’s happened. But next season, we’ll be back, really.”
City are in a must-win situation against Club Brugge on Wednesday to keep their Champions League hopes alive. Guardiola remained philosophical about the possibility of missing out on Europe’s top competition, noting that other big clubs have faced similar situations.
“Many big clubs, like Chelsea right now, are not in the Champions League. Manchester United aren’t in it either. It can happen to us, definitely,” he remarked.
As the season reaches a critical juncture, Guardiola’s defiance signals his determination to rebuild and reclaim City’s dominance.
