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Pep Guardiola admitted that he is “surprised and impressed” by Manchester City’s record winning streak, which he extended with a narrow win at Arsenal on Sunday.
City are still 10 points clear at the top of the Premier League thanks to Raheem Sterling’s goal in the first two minutes, although the score did not reflect their superiority over opponents who struggled to build up attacking momentum. It means that they have now won 18 straight matches in all competitions, extending the record set at Swansea three matches previously. Guardiola downplayed the feat, but said he hadn’t seen it coming.
“The record will be broken one day, we will lose games,” he said. “I am surprised and impressed when everyone is suffering in this world, what is happening today, everyone is losing points and we have been constant for the last two months.
“We cannot forget that we won at Anfield, against Tottenham, at Goodison Park and here – incredibly difficult games this period. So I am more than happy to win just 1-0. People talk and talk about records, but to do this you have to win these kinds of games many, many, many times. “
City will face Borussia Mönchengladbach in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday, a tie to be played in Budapest due to Covid-19 rules, and host West Ham on Saturday for the first of four consecutive Premier League home games. His hot streak includes 13 consecutive wins in the top flight, but Guardiola believes he will need to use his squad to the fullest if they want to take the title.
“We have to rotate the team and we will have to do it over and over again. We don’t have time for anything: just to recover and prepare, mentally, a team as strong as possible. But of course we cannot deny it, there are 39 points to play, 10 ahead, and we need the victories to be champions ”.
Fernandinho, the 35-year-old club captain, had his first start in six games in central midfield. “What a game, what a game,” Guardiola said of the Brazilian’s performance. “He is an incredible person, a captain and an incredible player.”
Guardiola praised his rival and former assistant, Mikel Arteta, who he said “knows everything about football.” Arteta’s team improved after a catastrophic start, but managed only one shot on goal. The Arsenal manager stayed behind to regret the first mistakes that led to a third defeat in four league games. “To start with how we did it, conceding the goal and how we did it, you have to be exceptional in the rest of the game,” he said.
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Arsenal’s attention shifts to their second leg of the last 32 Europa League games with Benfica on Thursday and Arteta described that match, to be played in Athens, as a “final”.
