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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Jika menang atas Tottenham Hotspur, Minggu (15/4) dini hari WIB, poin City tak akan bisa dikejar lagi oleh kontestan lainnya. Sebab setelah ini, hanya tersisa empat pertandingan dan itu tidak bisa dimanfaatkan MU untuk mengejar ketertinggalan angka.
Namun tugas City merebut kemenangan diprediksi tak akan berjalan mudah. Sebab laju mereka sedang buruk dalam tiga penampilan terakhirnya. David Silva Cs baru saja kalah dari Liverpool di babak perempat final Liga Champions Eropa. Selain itu mereka keok ketika menghadapi MU di laga bertajuk Derby Manchester.
"Musim ini kami sudah berusaha mencoba lebih kuat dari tahun lalu. Namun tugas kami masih belum selesai. Pertandingan menghadapi Tottenham sepertinya akan berjalan sulit buat kami," ucap pelatih City, Pep Guardiola.
Berbeda dengan The Citizens, Tottenham saat ini sedang melaju dengan rangkaian catatan positif. Tim asuhan Mauricio Pochettino selalu menang dalam empat laga terakhirnya.
Namun empat kemenangan tersebut mereka raih ketika tampil di markas lawan. Sementara saat bermain di kandangnya, Tottenham belum menang lagi sejak 3 Maret 2018 lalu. Jadi wajar apabila di laga nanti Tottenham tak akan ramah dengan tamunya. Mereka diprediksi bakal mati-matian demi mengamankan tiga poin kandang.
PERKIRAAN SUSUNAN PEMAIN Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Hugo Lloris; Serge Aurier, Davinson Sanchez, Jan Vertonghen, Ben Davies; Eric Dier, Moussa Dembele, Victor Wanyama; Heung-Min Son, Dele Alli, Harry Kane.
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson Moraes; Kyle Walker, Aymeric Laporte, Vincent Kompany, Fabian Delph; Ilkay Gundogan, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne; Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling.
HEAD TO HEAD (6 Bentrokan Terakhir) 17/12/17: Manchester City 4-1 Tottenham Hotspur 30/07/17: Manchester City 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur 22/01/17: Manchester City 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur 02/10/16: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Manchester City 14/02/16: Manchester City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur 26/09/15: Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 Manchester City
5 LAGA TERAKHIR TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 07/04/18: Stoke City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur 01/04/18: Chelsea 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur 17/03/18: Swansea City 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur 11/03/18: Bournemouth 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur 08/03/18: Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Juventus
5 LAGA TERAKHIR MANCHESTER CITY 11/04/18: Manchester City 1-2 Liverpool 07/04/18: Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United 05/04/18: Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City 31/03/18: Everton 1-3 Manchester City 13/03/18: Stoke City 0-2 Manchester City
PREDIKSI: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 50%-50% MANCHESTER CITY
Manchester City akan memastikan gelar Liga Inggris jika mampu mengalahkan Tottenham dan Manchester United kalah. (REUTERS/Phil Noble) Manchester City akan memastikan gelar Liga Inggris jika mampu mengalahkan Tottenham dan Manchester United kalah. (REUTERS/Phil Noble)
Manchester City dua kali kalah dari Liverpool di perempat final Liga Champions. (REUTERS/Andrew Yates) Manchester City dua kali kalah dari Liverpool di perempat final Liga Champions. (REUTERS/Andrew Yates)
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia -- Pertandingan krusialantara Tottenham Hotspur vsdi Stadion Wembley akan disiarkan secara langsung pada Minggu (15/4) dini hari WIB.Siaran langsung pertandingan Tottenham vs Man City akan disiarkan langsung beIN Sport 1 dan salah satu televisi nasional, RCTI, mulai pukul 01.45 WIB.Pertandingan Tottenham vs Man City bisa menentukan gelar Liga Inggris musim ini. Jika mampu mengalahkan Tottenham, Man City bisa memastikan gelar Liga Inggris dengan catatan Manchester United kalah dari West Bromwich Albion.Man United akan menghadapi West Brom di Stadion Old Trafford pada Minggu malam. Laga Man United vs West Brom akan disiarkan langsung beIN Sport 1 dan MNC TV.Jika Man City menang atas Tottenham dan Man United kalah dari West Brom, maka keunggulan 16 poin The Citizens tidak akan terkejar dengan lima pertandingan tersisa.Man City sebenarnya punya peluang untuk memastikan gelar Liga Inggris saat menjamu Man United di Stadion Etihad, akhir pekan lalu. Tapi, Man City akhirnya kalah 2-3 dari The Red Devils meski sempat unggul 2-0.Pada pertemuan pertama melawan Tottenham di Stadion Etihad, 16 Desember lalu, Man City sukses meraih kemenangan 4-1 lewat dua gol Raheem Sterling dan masing-masing satu gol Ilkay Guendogan serta Kevin De Bruyne.Man City sendiri baru saja menelan tiga kekalahan beruntun. Di sela kekalahan dari Man United di Liga Inggris, tim asuhan Pep Guardiola itu dua kali kalah dari Liverpool pada perempat final Liga Champions.Minggu 15 April 201801.45 WIB / Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City / beIN Sport 1 & RCTI22.00 WIB / Manchester United vs West Bromwich / beIN Sport 1 & MNC TV
