City second after six straight Premier League wins
‘We have to improve but this mindset is better’
Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City have regained the energy that eluded them last season and lifted the “fog” that clouded a disappointing campaign. City finished without a major trophy for the first time since 2016-17, Guardiola’s first in charge, but are hunting a seventh Premier League title under him after six straight wins.
Rayan Cherki struck late on at Nottingham Forest on Saturday to maintain City’s impressive winning run, which extends to eight in all competitions. Second-placed City are two points behind leaders Arsenal, who host third-placed Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. City do not return to action until Thursday, when they face high-flying Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Guardiola pinpointed last summer’s Club World Cup as a “critical moment” on their path to this point. Asked what changed in the US, where they exited at the last-16 stage, the City manager laboured his point. “Energy, energy, energy,” he said. “Me first. We lost it last season. We started to train better, to compete better. After that we can talk about three at the back, four at the back, wingers or full-backs – that is all bullshit. We needed to get energy back, and then you have a good environment.”
