Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City had to do a ‘reset’ after facing multiple challenges last season.
On Tuesday, Manchester City secured a 2-0 win over Villarreal in the Champions League. After the match, Guardiola spoke to DAZN in Spain about his side overcoming problems.
Last season, Manchester City finished third in the Premier League and lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace. They were eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League and exited the EFL Cup in the fourth round.
Guardiola’s side took part in the Club World Cup in the summer, where they were knocked out by Al-Hilal in the round of 16.
Despite the early elimination, the manager believes the tournament in has benefited the Premier League club.
“We generated something good at the Club World Cup. It’s like we reset last season: we had a lot of injuries, a lot of problems, we lacked energy, everything. There, although we were eliminated very early, I think we created something that I really liked. What we saw in training; the young players adapted very well,” he said.
The Citizens started this season with two defeats from their first three league matches. Since then, things have improved a lot. They are currently unbeaten in their last nine matches in all competitions, winning seven of them.
The Manchester City boss is pleased not only with the results but also their performances.
“It’s true that we started with two defeats in league, but I see things that are going well. And little by little I see that we’re playing a little better than the day before, and this is a sign. Now, obviously, in the Champions League, we have to get points, and the rest is up to the world,” Guardiola explained.