Guardiola Man City title pressure remains high, but the City boss insists the season has still been successful

Pep Guardiola has insisted Manchester City have enjoyed a successful campaign despite mounting pressure in the Premier League title race and ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea.

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Speaking before City’s fourth consecutive FA Cup final appearance at Wembley, Guardiola said the season should not be judged solely by the number of trophies won.

Manchester City temporarily shift focus from their pursuit of league leaders Arsenal as they prepare for another high-stakes domestic final.

The Premier League champions trail Arsenal by two points with two matches remaining, although the gap could widen if Arsenal defeat relegated Burnley on Monday.

City’s hopes of retaining the title were already dented after their Champions League campaign ended in the last 16 against Real Madrid in March.

Despite the setbacks, Guardiola maintained a positive outlook on the season.

“Sometimes you lift trophies and the season has been successful,” Guardiola said.

“Sometimes, you lift and the truth is the season has been really, really bad.

“I said a few weeks ago this season has been good. Really, really good.”

The City manager also refused to confirm whether influential midfielder Rodri would be fit enough to start at Wembley, responding only with: “We’ll see.”

After rotating his squad during Wednesday’s victory against Crystal Palace, Guardiola is expected to field a full-strength side against Chelsea rather than prioritising the league run-in.

The Spaniard stressed the importance of the FA Cup final for both supporters and players.

“It is the final of the FA Cup. The message is there are two prestigious clubs at Wembley,” he said.

“Our fans make an incredible effort to come down to London. It is not cheap.”

City lost the last two FA Cup finals against Crystal Palace and Manchester United after defeating United in the 2023 showpiece.

Guardiola admitted his side are eager to avoid another painful defeat at Wembley.

“There’s excitement, of course. I hope we can do better than the last two times,” he said.

“Wembley is still a special place. Everything is so nice. The pitch is extraordinary. We are desperate to perform well.”

The experienced manager also injected humour into the pre-match atmosphere by joking about his repeated visits to Wembley.

Ahead of what will be his 24th appearance at the national stadium with City, Guardiola quipped that he deserved a lounge or a stand named after him.

“So many times I have been there, at least a lounge or a box or something like that,” he joked.

Guardiola, whose current contract expires next year, also brushed aside speculation surrounding possible departures within his coaching staff, including fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura and goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor.

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When asked about the reports, Guardiola initially smiled and claimed he had extended their contracts for three more years before quickly adding: “Nope.”