Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola provided a four-word X-rated response when asked about his side’s popularity.
City can fight off title rivals Arsenal and clinch a fourth-consecutive Premier League trophy on Sunday with victory over West Ham on the final day of the season.
Guardiola’s side also have the opportunity to claim a domestic double if they overcome neighbours Manchester United in next weekend’s FA Cup final.
City can become the first English team to win four top-flight titles in a row, but discontent remains due to their investigation for 115 charges by the Premier League for alleged financial irregularities.
During his pre-match press conference on Friday, the Spaniard was asked whether people like his Manchester City team.
To which he responded: “F**k! I don’t know!
“Sometimes people ask me what I think people think of any subject and I don’t think. I don’t go knocking on doors asking what they think. I don’t know, honestly.
However, despite the mutterings about his club by rival supporters and pundits – including talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan – Guardiola believes a fourth-consecutive title will see his side receive the global respect they deserve.
“I think so. In world football, for sure,” he told reporters ahead of Sunday’s title decider.
“Even if we don’t win it, it has been so fine. Still we are here together and nothing is going to change whether we win four in a row or Arsenal win the Premier League. We know how good we have been.”
Victory at the Etihad Stadium this weekend would hand Guardiola his sixth Premier League title and the club’s eighth overall since their first in 2012.
City are no strangers to final-day drama, having famously been taken to the wire in 2012 by Manchester United and by Liverpool in 2022, which saw City fall 2-0 down to Aston Villa only to claw their way back to a 3-2 win.
This time, it’s Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal who hold hopes of pipping City to the crown and Guardiola says he expects another tense afternoon.
“I have the feeling it will be an Aston Villa game,” Guardiola added. “We would love to be 3-0 up but it isn’t going to happen.
“I’m ready for a tough, tough game. I want to put that in the minds of the players.
“It’s going to happen the same. Ourselves and our people have to be ready to support from the first minute and be with us.”
News Summary:
- Pep Guardiola gives X-rated response to questions about Man City’s popularity ahead of title decider
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