‘Everything is done’: Guardiola ponders motivation to continue as Manchester City win record fourth successive Premier League
May 20, 2024, 11:55 IST
Manchester City clinched the Premier League title for a record fourth consecutive year after a decisive victory against West Ham on the final day of the 2023-24 season. The win at the Etihad ensured they edged out Arsenal by two points, marking their sixth Premier League triumph under manager Pep Guardiola's leadership.
City needed a win to guarantee their title retention, and Phil Foden's early double strike—scoring in the second minute and again shortly after—set the tone. West Ham's Mohammed Kudus momentarily shifted the momentum with an overhead kick late in the first half, but Rodri's low strike early in the second half quashed any hopes Arsenal fans had of a City slip-up.
This latest triumph under Guardiola has seen City surpass neighbours Manchester United as the only team to win the Premier League four times in a row. And with this record following a historic treble-winning season for the Cityzens, the Spanish tactician has hinted at a potential departure due to waning motivation after achieving such extensive success.
“Last year, after (completing the treble in) Istanbul, I said ‘it’s over, there’s nothing left’,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “But I have a contract and I start to think ‘no-one has done four in a row, why don't we try?’. And now I feel it’s done, so what next? Now I don't know what exactly the motivation is because it's difficult to find it when everything is done.”
With his personal Premier League tally now up to six, Guardiola has amassed a total of 17 trophies since joining City in 2016.
Up next, City will face Manchester United in the FA Cup final on May 25, aiming to add another feather to their cap by becoming the first team to complete the domestic Double in successive seasons.
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City needed a win to guarantee their title retention, and Phil Foden's early double strike—scoring in the second minute and again shortly after—set the tone. West Ham's Mohammed Kudus momentarily shifted the momentum with an overhead kick late in the first half, but Rodri's low strike early in the second half quashed any hopes Arsenal fans had of a City slip-up.
This latest triumph under Guardiola has seen City surpass neighbours Manchester United as the only team to win the Premier League four times in a row. And with this record following a historic treble-winning season for the Cityzens, the Spanish tactician has hinted at a potential departure due to waning motivation after achieving such extensive success.
“Last year, after (completing the treble in) Istanbul, I said ‘it’s over, there’s nothing left’,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “But I have a contract and I start to think ‘no-one has done four in a row, why don't we try?’. And now I feel it’s done, so what next? Now I don't know what exactly the motivation is because it's difficult to find it when everything is done.”
With his personal Premier League tally now up to six, Guardiola has amassed a total of 17 trophies since joining City in 2016.
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