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In the midst of a wet, miserable Manchester day, erstwhile his squad were enactment successful their spot by opponents who are connected the verge of taking their crown, Pep Guardiola saw the brightness of a caller Manchester City squad emerge.
While City were swept speech by Premier League leaders Liverpool, Guardiola saw capable successful his broadside to beryllium assured for the future.
His squad contained 3 players who person been with the nine a substance of weeks, cardinal men Erling Haaland and Rodri the astir notable of 5 absentees, and with cardinal antiaircraft axis Ruben Dias constricted to a 13-minute cameo disconnected the seat arsenic helium strives for afloat fittingness successful his comeback from injury.
The mean property of Manchester City's starting XI successful this crippled was 25 years and 68 days - their joint-youngest successful a Premier League lucifer nether Guardiola.
"I saw a agleam future," helium told BBC Sport. "These players are truthful young.
"Other than Kevin [de Bruyne] and Nathan [Ake], they are the aboriginal of this nine successful the adjacent years, with others who volition travel successful aboriginal windows."
Guardiola namechecked wide duo Savinho and Jeremy Doku. It is harmless to presume England planetary Phil Foden is besides portion of that group.
For others, similar De Bruyne, cardinal defender John Stones, midfielder Ilkay Gundogan and England winger Jack Grealish, who remained connected the seat throughout, the aboriginal is little certain.
City person a long-standing involvement successful Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiasso and implicit the past fewer days person been linked with Bayer Leverkusen's Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz.
By the clip Guardiola gets to the commencement of adjacent season, his squad could look precise antithetic to the 1 that began this one.
The erstwhile Barcelona and Bayern manager is not 1 for predicting the aboriginal but asked to respond to the post-match comments of Liverpool brag Arne Slot, who feels City volition situation powerfully again adjacent season, Guardiola said helium hoped the Dutchman was right.
"I would similar that," helium said. "I cognize what we person done arsenic a team. It's not capable but I recognise my squad successful the past 2 games successful the Premier League - they were superb against some Newcastle and Liverpool.
"In Madrid it was not bully capable successful some games to effort to spell done but the gait today, the rhythm, the pressing, the solidarity for astir of them playing successful hard positions, I o.k. it and it was truly good."
City's eighth Premier League decision of the run leaves them 20 points adrift of the champions-elect.
"How galore points are they successful beforehand of Arsenal?" questioned Guardiola, erstwhile asked if City had been beaten by the rubric winners. "How galore games person they lost?"
The answer, 11 and one, told it's ain story.
For City, the situation is to assertion a spot successful adjacent season's Champions League, for which, 5th is apt to beryllium enough.
With 12 games remaining, they are fourth, 3 points down third-placed Nottingham Forest – but with a amended extremity difference, but lone 5 up of Fulham, who are 10th.
It is simply a little exhilarating task than trying to unafraid a grounds 4th successive title, oregon winning a historical Treble, which has been successful beforehand of them arsenic the erstwhile 2 seasons entered their last weeks, but Guardiola is convinced it volition beryllium capable motivation.
"If it doesn't hap it's due to the fact that we were not bully enough, not due to the fact that we had a deficiency of hunger and desire," helium said.
"It's truthful choky with 4 oregon 5 teams; Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, Aston Villa and the others are truthful good. It volition not beryllium casual but we volition try."
Haaland was forced to ticker proceedings from the down the City bench, having told Guardiola connected Saturday helium was not acceptable to instrumentality from the genu wounded helium suffered astatine the extremity of the triumph implicit Newcastle.
Guardiola played down concerns the Norwegian's lack could beryllium prolonged but admitted helium was not definite erstwhile Haaland would beryllium back.
"Apparently he's not injured due to the fact that the scans dictate that he's fine," helium said. "But helium didn't consciousness fine.
"I person the feeling it [return] volition beryllium soon due to the fact that helium trained yesterday and made immoderate truly bully movements but helium said helium was not acceptable and we person to respect that.
"Hopefully helium tin beryllium backmost for Spurs [on Wednesday]."
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