Josko Gvardiol says everyone in the Manchester City squad is focused on one goal this season – winning as much silverware as possible.
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The Croatian defender played a key role in our record fourth Premier League title in a row in his first season before a leaner campaign last time around.
While he was voted the Etihad Player of the Season for his performances in the difficult 2024/25 term, the 23-year-old says it’s team trophies that are what drive him to be at his best every day.
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With City set to welcome Everton to the Etihad Stadium having now gone seven games unbeaten, Gvardiol says the hard work put in during the early period of the season is all with one achievement in mind.
“We aim for trophies – if you don’t do that, there’s no point in competing,” he began.
“It’s really simple – after last season, we haven’t won anything and it’s really clear that we want to be back where we used to be.
“Of course, we’re hungry and this season is the perfect timing to forget everything from last season. We are there and we are doing good.
“The next six, seven or eight games are going to be really crucial for us before the next international break. It’s not going to be easy.”
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City have not been afraid to mix it up so far this season, with the Blues having less possession in the Premier League than usual.
Having dominated passing statistics during Pep Guardiola’s reign, four sides have so far seen more of the ball than us in the Premier League.
That’s meant a subtle shift for the likes of Gvardiol, who is tasked with building the play up from the back.
He has in fact laid on two assists for Erling Haaland in our last two outings, chipping in behind for the Norwegian to run on to against both Monaco and Brentford.
Asked about the key requirements to play this way in the face of high pressing sides, Gvardiol explained it’s all about patience and trust in the team as a whole.
“You need to be patient – especially the backline. The process we do is difficult,” he said.
“Every season is getting more and more difficult because other teams know what we do and they’re aware every time we get a goal kick; they will press us high.
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“We train every day and of course, the most important thing is that we trust each other.
“The only way to build that and to understand each other is to play together and next to each other.
“We train every day – the relationship inside the dressing room is better than ever. This is what we need in football and on the pitch as well.”
The Croatian has starred so far this season at the heart of the defence having been deployed more often than not at left-back in his first two terms.
That saw him contribute significantly at the top end of the pitch, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists.
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Playing in multiple positions is nothing new for our No.24.
“When I was younger, I used to play in a lot of positions – right winger, left winger, striker, in the middle as well,” he said.
“Since I joined Manchester City my game hasn’t changed that much. Of course, every day, I learn something new from our manager.
“Obviously, he’s one of the best and I’m happy I’m still here and to be in my third season. I’m looking forward to a lot of minutes this season and hopefully to win some trophies.”
City v Everton app coverage
Our official app allows you to follow all of the action from our latest Premier League showdown from one place.
Minute-by-minute text updates will begin in our Matchday Centre two hours before kick-off, while our Matchday Live show will begin at 14:00 (UK).
Cel Spellman will be joined in the studio by Joleon Lescott, who played for both sides during his career.
During the game you can also listen to live audio commentary from Alistair Mann and Andy Morrison while our text commentary continues.
Make sure to have push notifications turned on as well, so you can be alerted to key moments in the action, including goals, red cards and the team news.
We’ll have a quick-hit 2-minute highlights package available at 19:00 (UK), while you can sign-in to watch a free 8-minute edit at midnight.
On CITY+ meanwhile, there’ll be our popular full-match replay as well as our new extended highlights offering which features the best 20 minutes of action from the game. Both are also available at midnight.
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