First title for Pep Guardiola?
(Baonghean.vn) - The Spanish strategist has yet to win any titles with Man City after nearly 2 years of working at Etihad Stadium. The EFL Cup final against Arsenal, taking place at 11:30 p.m. on February 25, will be an opportunity for coach Pep Guardiola to do that.
Before arriving in Manchester, coach Pep Guardiola was considered the "King Midas" (meaning the golden touch) of world football. From Barcelona to Bayern Munich, the coach born in 1971 won at least 1 title with his team. During his 4 years at Barcelona, Pep Guardiola helped the Camp Nou team win 14 championships (2 Champions League, 3 La Liga...). During his 3 years at Bayern Munich, he helped the "gray tigers" win the Bundesliga 3 times in a row, along with a series of other big and small titles.
Moving to the Etihad Stadium, Pep Guardiola was expected to turn Man City into a formidable force not only in English football, but also in Europe. However, the first season (2016/2017) of coach Pep Guardiola at Man City did not go smoothly, if not disastrous. In the Premier League, The Citizens only finished 3rd on the rankings. In the Champions League, Man City was eliminated by Monaco in the knockout round. In the two arenas of the FA Cup and the English League Cup, Man City also had to suffer empty-handedness.
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| Pep Guardiola's first season at Man City was truly forgettable. Photo: Internet |
A talented and "cool" coach with titles like Pep Guardiola, but cannot help an ambitious team like Man City win a title, is the ultimate disappointment. There were even times when the Spanish strategist confided about the possibility of being fired by the Man City leadership early, if he still cannot help the team win glory. Through that, we can see how great Coach Pep Guardiola's desire to win titles with Man City is.
Therefore, the upcoming FA Cup final against Arsenal is an excellent opportunity for coach Pep Guardiola to achieve his first victory with the Etihad Stadium team. In terms of strength and form, Man City is slightly better than his opponent Arsenal. The personnel in the hands of coach Pep Guardiola, not only coach Wenger, but also the whole of Europe, are unmatched. From the defense to the attack, from the field to the bench, there are quality stars everywhere.
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| Man City defeated Arsenal 3-1 in the first leg of the Premier League this season. Photo: Internet |
Despite being knocked out of the FA Cup by Wigan (lost 0-1), Man City's form this season is extremely scary. Coach Pep Guardiola and his team are "alone, on a horse" in the Premier League, having created a gap of up to 16 points with the 2nd ranked team, Man Utd, and 27 points ahead of the 6th ranked team, Arsenal. Meanwhile, in the Champions League, the Etihad team just crushed their opponent Basel in the first leg of the knockout round right in Switzerland with a score of 4-0.
Just a quick look like that is enough to confirm: Coach Pep Guardiola and his team are very close to the English League Cup. With determination and superior strength, Man City will not have too much difficulty to step up to the championship. December 25th will most likely be the milestone marking Man City's first title under Pep Guardiola./.
