Pep Guardiola Compares Man City's Tension to 'Serving for Wimbledon'

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has likened his team's final Premier League game of the season to serving for the championship at Wimbledon.

By: Anna Ciao

05/15/2024 02:20

Manchester City are on the brink of securing a record fourth consecutive Premier League title after defeating Tottenham 2-0 on Tuesday night.

The victory moved Guardiola's side two points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table. They will be crowned champions if they beat West Ham at home on the final day of the season on Sunday at 16:00 BST.

Manchester City moved to the top of the Premier League table with a victory over Tottenham on Tuesday.

Guardiola, speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the win at Spurs, drew a comparison with tennis: "The tennis players say 'the serve to win Wimbledon', the last game, is the most difficult one. We know what we're playing for. The tension is there."

City have a remarkable track record when the title race goes to the final day. This will be the ninth time in the Premier League era that the championship has been decided on the last day, with City involved in each of the past four occasions and emerging as champions every time.

According to analysts Opta, Guardiola's side have an 84% chance of lifting the title. Historically, no team that started the final day not in first place has finished as champions.

Guardiola called on the fans to support the team: "Everyone come to the stadium and make noise. We'll have one day off, two days to prepare, and then we will do our best."

Man City final day heroics

Manchester City 3-2 Queens Park Rangers (2011-12)
Manchester City 2-0 West Ham (2013-14)
Brighton 1-4 Manchester City (2018-19)
Manchester City 3-2 Aston Villa (2021-22)

Ederson kicked a cool box after being substituted in the second half on Tuesday.

Ederson had eye issue, not concussion - Guardiola

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson and star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne were both substituted on Tuesday due to injuries.

Ederson was involved in a collision with Cristian Romero in the second half and appeared to be in significant pain while receiving treatment on the pitch. However, Guardiola later confirmed that the Brazilian was not concussed. "He had a problem with his eye, he could not see properly so the doctor said I should change," Guardiola explained.

Ederson showed his frustration upon being substituted, kicking a cool box on the sideline. Nonetheless, replacement keeper Stefan Ortega performed admirably, notably keeping out a one-on-one chance from Spurs captain Son Heung-min.

Guardiola also revealed that De Bruyne picked up an ankle injury.

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Written by: Anna Ciao

Anna Ciao is a sports content contributor at Betimate. Born and raised in a rural village in China, I have had a passion for football and various sports such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, from a young age. Along with diligent studies, I achieved an IELTS score of 8.0 in the English language, and I have become a content contributor specializing in sports, particularly football, as I am today. I hope that my articles are helpful to readers.

Premier League Manchester City Tottenham Pep Guardiola

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