‘People said in England you cannot play that way’: vindication for Pep Guardiola as Manchester City set new standards
Spaniard proves his philosophy works in England as City win record 14th straight game to put one hand on Premier League title with less than half of the season gone
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was basking in a victory that might have wrapped up the Premier League title by early December when he turned on the sceptics who doubted his philosophy could work in English football.
“People said in England you cannot play that way,” Guardiola said after City’s 2-1 win at Manchester United on Sunday. “In England, you can play that way as well.”
And who can argue with him? His team is setting standards never before seen in the history of England’s top division – and doing it in style, too.
City have won a record 14 straight games, and dropped just two points all season, to establish an 11-point lead after 16 matches.
They have scored the most goals (48) and conceded the joint-fewest (11) in the league. According to Opta, the official statistics supplier to the Premier League, City have an average possession of 71.6 per cent in matches, an average pass accuracy of 88.5 per cent, and have had more touches in the opposition box (616) than any other team.
Those are the spectacular results of his work. But as important to Guardiola is the process.