'Every game is a final' - Pep Guardiola wants Manchester City ready for a business end of season
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Published 20/03/2022 at 18:37 GMT
Manchester City booked their place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and a possible meeting with Premier League title rivals Liverpool, with a win over Southampton on Sunday. Pep Guardiola's side are battling on three fronts and he wants his players to steel themselves for a run of games he says are finals.
Pep Guardiola von Manchester City
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Pep Guardiola is looking for his Manchester City players to return revived from the international break for a spell of games he feels are "finals".
City beat Southampton 4-1 on Sunday to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where Liverpool could lie in wait if they beat Nottingham Forest.
The win over Saints came on the back of City advancing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, while they are one point clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
Guardiola will now hope his international stars return fit from a spell away with their countries, as he prepares for the business end of the season.
"It was not a comfortable victory,” he said of the win over Southampton. “But now we go into the international break.
“There are two months left in the season and we are in three competitions - semi-final of the FA Cup, quarter-final of the Champions League and top of the league.
“We know every game is a final and we knew it was important not to lose today.”
Reflecting on the performance on Sunday, Guardiola said: "We started well, for the first 20-25 minutes but for the last 15 of the first half we forgot to play, knowing that this would be difficult because Southampton is one of the best, most organised teams we face all season.
"They push you with incredible intensity but the goal we conceded was a consequence of us forgetting to play.
"The second half was much better, in personality and play. They had one chance for Che Adams, at 2-1, but the quality of our players up front made the difference."
City's first game back from the break is a trip to Burnley in the Premier League on April 2. They face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League four days later, after which is a title shakedown with Liverpool on April 10.
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