Pep Guardiola predicts another Premier League title for Man City, despite winless run
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Pep Guardiola’s confidence in Manchester City remains unshaken even after a three-game winless run.
The defending Premier League champions have drawn their last three games in England’s top flight and sit third in the standings. But Guardiola is convinced his team can make history this season by winning an unprecedented fourth successive title.
“My feeling today is we’re going to win the Premier League,” he said at a news conference on Tuesday. “If we play at the levels that we showed against Liverpool and Tottenham, we’re going to win it again.
“People don’t believe it already after three draws, but we feel we’re going to do it again, knowing that it is not easy because no team has done it yet.”
City travels to fourth-place Aston Villa on Wednesday after drawing against Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham in its last three games.
On Monday the club was charged by the English Football Association after Erling Haaland and other players surrounded referee Simon Hooper when the official denied Jack Grealish the chance to score a late winner in Sunday’s 3-3 draw with Tottenham.
Hooper had appeared to play an advantage when Haaland was fouled in stoppage time, but then blew his whistle as Grealish looked set to run through on goal.
The FA alleged that City “failed to ensure their players do not behave in a way which is improper.”
Guardiola does not believe a sense of injustice will have any impact on the game against Villa.
“We never use these kind of situations. Today the motivation is to try and do better,” he said. “Sometimes decisions help you, sometimes they don’t. I learn that if you want to win something you have to do it much, much better than the opponents.”
Rodri and Jack Grealish are both suspended for the game at Villa Park and Jeremy Doku will be assessed after suffering a knock against Spurs.
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