Guardiola is gradually restoring confidence with three wins in a row.
Image credit: Manchester City
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that his team’s morale has improved significantly following three consecutive wins.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s crucial Premier League clash against Brentford, Guardiola was reflective but cautious about the challenges ahead.
City endured a challenging spell earlier this season, winning only one of 13 matches in all competitions.
However, victories over Leicester City (2-0), West Ham (4-1), and a record-breaking 8-0 win against Salford in the FA Cup have rejuvenated the squad.
“Before, it was impossible to win one, so now we’ve won three, and that helps us,” Guardiola remarked. He tempered expectations, saying:
But the reality is we’ve won against a team in the last game for the difference of the Premier League and League Two, and the badges for both teams, and for many reasons, we should win.
We did it quite well, but still, we have to wait to see who we are. You know who we are, but of course, the mood is better.
Tough Challenge Against Brentford
Despite their recent success, Guardiola is under no illusions about the upcoming match against Brentford, who boast one of the best home records in the league, second only to Liverpool.
We have an enormously difficult game (against Brentford). Thomas (Frank) and his team always create a lot of problems. They are a fantastic, fantastic team.
Brentford, however, will be eager to recover from their FA Cup exit after losing 1-0 at home to Plymouth, a second-tier side.
Man City’s League Position and Transfer Updates
City currently sits sixth in the Premier League table, just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification.
On transfer rumors, Guardiola dismissed reports of an agreement with Lens for defender Abdukodir Khusanov, stating:
The club didn’t announce anything. I don’t know.
The future of captain Kyle Walker remains uncertain. Walker, 34, has not started a game for City since mid-December’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United and has expressed a desire to play abroad.
Guardiola hinted that a decision on his inclusion for the Brentford match would be made soon.
We’ll decide later today if he’ll be in the squad.
Stay tuned for more updates as we see how things unfold.