Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about lessons that he has had from title races as a player and a coach
Pep Guardiola at Bournemouth last season
Pep Guardiola at Bournemouth last season
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Pep Guardiola wants his Manchester City players to show their teeth 'in the dentist's chair' at Bournemouth to force Arsenal to win the Premier League on the final day. City's coach has channelled the advice of his Barcelona idol Johan Cruyff to try to force another twist in the title race.
Bournemouth away is already one of the tougher games in the calendar - City lost there last season - but has been made even more difficult for the Blues this time. Guardiola's players have only had a few days to recover from the FA Cup final while Bournemouth have had more than a week to prepare as they hunt European qualification for next season in what will be Andoni Iraola's final home game.
It is going to take a champion effort for City to get the better of a Bournemouth side who have so much to play for, but they know that three points is their only option to keep the title race alive. Guardiola has described it as a trip to the dentist as they hope to emerge unscathed.
"I’ve often used it as an analogy for how difficult it is. they don't let you breathe," he said. “When a team is so intense, always when the fatigue comes in the amount of games, they can reduce a little bit this tempo. But with 10 days to prepare that game, I expect a more intense, aggressive and demanding team. And then you have to be smart to read what you have to do.
"We know if we don't win at Bournemouth, we will congratulate Arsenal. We would like to arrive where it’s Crystal Palace away for them.
“We play at home – I wouldn’t say Aston Villa is easy – in fact it’s completely the opposite. Unai (Emery) is extraordinary and exceptional. But we would love it if on Sunday our people can come at 3pm and maybe what happens at Selhurst Park will be nice.
“So we will try to extend it three four or five days and keep the hope that maybe we can win the Premier League again. That is what we are aiming for but we know the task will be so difficult.”
Guardiola has taken three titles races to the final day with City and while they have been in control of every one, they have wobbled and conceded the first goal at Brighton in 2018 and went 2-0 down at home to Villa in 2022 before a miraculous comeback. So even if Arsenal only need a draw at Selhurst Park on the final day, there will still be nerves.
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As a player, Guardiola's Barcelona won four successive league titles between 1990 and 1994 and came from behind on the final day in three of those championships. Cruyff led that team and his mantra about forcing the other team to win the title has stuck with a coach who has gone on to have such enormous success as a manager.
"Always I prefer when it's in our hands because you don't have to take a look [at other results] after. Always it's better to depend on us. But the ideal situation never exists," he said. "The important thing is just to try and arrive in that moment.
"If we arrive with nine new players, playing a lot of minutes, being at the end and being there is really good. Once we are here, why not extend one more week, a few more days. But I prefer it to be in our control. When it depends on the other ones, it's something you cannot do. But you never know. The important thing is to be there.
"I remember Johan Cruyff before those games said 'win our games, it's not in our hands,' but we cannot lose the Premier League because they don't win and we don't win. That just cannot happen. We have to. Let's win the game to arrive at the last chance and after that, guys, win our game. After that, it's not in our control. Wait."