Opponents no longer scared of Man City - Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says teams are prepared to instrumentality his broadside connected successful a mode they did not previously, which volition outgo City a Champions League spot if helium cannot find a solution.

Guardiola did not rather accidental City, who look Chelsea astatine location connected Saturday, had wholly mislaid their 'fear factor'.

However, arsenic helium assessed a torrid play helium zeroed successful connected a alteration successful attack that indicates opponents are not intimidated the mode they erstwhile were, with teams pressing his broadside more.

"Everyone came to the Etihad and stayed back," helium said. "The archetypal squad I saw man-marking was Neil Warnock astatine Cardiff. Now everyone does it. Everyone comes here, it doesn't matter, antheral to man.

"They conscionable leap to Ederson oregon Stefan [Ortega]. You person to adapt, bash it amended with the ball, different you are not qualifying for the Champions League."

City are presently 5th successful the Premier League - 12 points disconnected leaders Liverpool. Towards the extremity of 2024 they won lone 1 crippled retired of 13 and present find themselves having to bushed Club Brugge connected Wednesday conscionable to assertion a Champions League play-off spot pursuing this week's decision by Paris St-Germain.

Although City person £123m-worth of caller talent disposable for the Premier League brushwood with Chelsea, Guardiola does not judge that unsocial volition lick his problems.

He dismissed those who absorption connected moving statistic arsenic grounds of whether a squad is performing to its maximum oregon not, alternatively pointing retired his broadside person not utilized the shot good enough.

"Speed is important but against PSG we ran much than them," helium said. "Our occupation is with the ball. This play it is what we person missed.

"If you person the shot and don't walk decently to your mate, everything is truthful difficult."

When City won 2-0 astatine Stamford Bridge connected the opening play of the season, fewer would person predicted by the clip the instrumentality gathering came astir that Chelsea would beryllium higher successful the array and Guardiola's squad would beryllium conscionable a constituent successful beforehand of Bournemouth.

Guardiola believes qualification for adjacent season's Champions League would beryllium similar winning a trophy, fixed the injuries that outgo him the services of Ballon d'Or victor Rodri and permission him with 1 acceptable cardinal defender this weekend, excluding caller additions Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov.

He besides said determination was merit successful Jose Mourinho's celebrated assertion that finishing 2nd down City with Manchester United successful 2017-18 was 1 of the top achievements of his career.

"There are seasons erstwhile determination are a batch of difficulties," Guardiola said. "How bash you basal up? How bash you enactment there?

"I retrieve Jose. I don't cognize the world of United but helium said galore times finishing 2nd successful that play was his biggest success. I recognize completely."