Pep Guardiola will be playing golf with his son on Sunday afternoon, when the Premier League title could finally be handed to Manchester City, although the Catalan showed no signs of knowing that was exactly what Sir Alex Ferguson famously did when he won his first in 1993.
That year, it was a surprise defeat for Aston Villa against Oldham Athletic that sealed Manchester United’s title and if they lose to bottom-placed club West Bromwich Albion on Sunday afternoon, then history will repeat itself – although unhappily in United’s case. If it is not this weekend then it will be soon, and when young Marius Guardiola accompanies his father around the course he will surely detect a lightening of mood around a man who has been very intense for the last eight months.
Guardiola has previously stopped short of saying that the Premier League is the most difficult of the three nations’ championships he has conquered, but having emerged from the toughest week of the season, he said that this title had demanded the most. After three straight defeats encompassing a Champions League exit and a Mancunian humbling, this was a vintage City Guardiola victory – by no means perfect but done with full conviction in their attacking principles.
“In the end if you have 87 points with five games left it is because we have been outstanding,” Guardiola said. “When people say it is a failure because of what happened last week, they do not understand anything in football. The Champions League is seven games and you can win it. The league is every three days for ten months. I’m sorry, what these guys have done all season is much more important.”
Asked if he will keep up with the score from Old Trafford while out on the course, Guardiola cracked a rare joke, “Yes, bogey, double bogey, birdie”. As for the Premier League, he said that it had tested him even more than La Liga and the Bundesliga. “It is more difficult. Physicality, weather conditions, the amount of games. It is tough. The Premier League is so, so tough, that is why hopefully on Sunday if we win, it will remain in our hearts for the rest of our lives.”
It had been a dreadful period in an otherwise brilliant season for Manchester City as they looked to get back on track against Tottenham Hotspur in a bid to home in on the Premier League title.
City threw away a 2-0 lead to allow rivals Manchester United victory on a day they could have secured the championship with a win, and followed it up on Tuesday with a third successive defeat after being dumped out the Champions League by Liverpool.
Spurs were be hoping to make that four when they welcomed Pep Guardiola's side to Wembley as they aimed to strengthen their grip on a top four place. Relive all the action with MATTHEW SMITH as it happened.
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