Pep Guardiola has warned Arsenal that his record-breaking Manchester City side can improve again, even after claiming four consecutive Premier League titles.
Man City beat West Ham 3-1 to finish top of the pile, thwarting the Gunners’ bid for a first title triumph in 20 years.
Phil Foden’s brace put City in control, before Rodri sealed the deal. Mohammed Kudus’s overhead kick goal briefly delayed the party, but West Ham were overawed and overrun in David Moyes’s final match in charge.
Guardiola cannot yet pinpoint how to find fresh fuel for the mental fire, but insisted that if any group could find a way it would be his squad of winners.
“Last year when we won the Champions League I said, ‘It’s over, there’s nothing left’, but I’m still here,” he said.
“I started thinking no one has done four in a row, why don’t we try? Now that’s done, so what next? Gary Lineker told me that no team has done back-to-back Premier League and FA Cups.
“I want my players to enjoy two or three days and then we have two days to prepare for that final.
“Right now I don’t know the exact motivation, because it’s difficult to find. But when we are there, we will say, ‘Why should we not win today’? And I know we are going to do it.”
Guardiola sees his great friend Mikel Arteta as his new main managerial foe, in the wake of Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool. Any pride from Arsenal boss Arteta in becoming Guardiola’s main rival will give immediate way to City’s desire to improve again their already lofty standards.
City’s dynasty has been forged in the fires of evolution, and next season will be no different.
Guardiola’s side will seek to successfully defend their FA Cup title against Manchester United on Saturday, then they will go again.
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How to improve record-breaking excellence? Well, new recruits always progress again in their second season under Guardiola. And that represents a scary prospect when the talents concerned are Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku.
England star Foden now boasts six Premier League titles aged just 23. The forward can do no wrong but is not at his limit.
Guardiola will look to ease Foden from leading light to crucial attacking playmaker. Kevin De Bruyne has run City’s show for so long but cannot go on forever. While there is no rush, Guardiola could well task Foden with slotting into that role. That in turn would open a space for Jack Grealish to find a regular starting berth.
When asked quite how City keep improving, Guardiola joked that his sporting directors keep giving him new players. City could well prise Lucas Paqueta away from West Ham to that end, though most observers yesterday remarked they would be better-served signing Kudus.
Guardiola’s 17-trophy City dynasty has been built in part through mighty financial power. To keep progressing again City will need to find some way out of the 115 charges of alleged financial impropriety. They refute all charges.
Guardiola has proved adept at blocking out such distractions, but he will need City’s administrators to find a solution that will allow him to stay at the club in the long run.
