Pep Guardiola says Manchester City don't deserve pressure of quadruple bid
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Sunday 24 February 2019 14:40, UK
Pep Guardiola says it is unfair to expect Manchester City to win an unprecedented quadruple, as they bid to defend their Carabao Cup title.
City will face Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea in the showpiece at Wembley on Sunday - live on Sky Sports Football - as Guardiola, whose side are fighting on all four fronts, goes in search of a third major honour in England.
Kevin De Bruyne described City's chances of completing a clean sweep of all the domestic and European competitions on offer as "nearly impossible" - something which his manager echoes.
Asked whether he preferred his players to target a quadruple, Guardiola said: "Ask me this question in May, in April or May ask me that question and after I will tell you the answer. And I will not lie to you. But in May, in February it is impossible to talk about that.
"Kevin has said perfectly in the last press conference in Germany [ahead of victory against Schalke in the Champions League].
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"The next target is the next game. Believe me how many times one team in England has won four titles in a season? Don't put pressure on our shoulders. We don't deserve it. First for the club we are, [and] for the history.
"The legacy of Sir Alex Ferguson at [Manchester] United is incredible and he never did it. Liverpool, with all the European Cup titles in their pockets, they have not done it.
"So, don't put the pressure on one team in February or November, December, you have to win all four titles. It is impossible.
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"In May we will see. It sells something that is not true. After that you say Manchester City fail because they didn't win four titles or three titles when that only happened once in this country.
"That is not fair for us. We try to win the next one and after in April, May we will see what is our position."
City will meet Chelsea in the second match of Sunday's double-header of heavyweight fixtures, live on Sky Sports, with title rivals Liverpool facing bitter rivals Manchester United in their game in hand.
Guardiola insists, despite acknowledging the significance of the match at Old Trafford, that he is no doubt over which match carries the biggest significance for his squad in the longer term.
"Of course it would be good for us if Manchester United can get a [positive] result," he said.
"But we have a final and I think for this club, maybe for United and Liverpool it is not important because in their cabinet trophy they have many titles but that is not our case.
"To retain the title would be good and play a final will be good. [It will] always help us to grow as a club. For the new players coming in the future we have to arrive in the last stages for all the titles and that is what I count, when I build a big, big club.
"We are in the final and Chelsea, in the last decade, have played a lot of finals - more than us. It will be an incredibly tough game, for them and for us. And of course we want to win it."
