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Guardiola: Team deserve celebration after my demands

21 May 2023

Premier League - Manchester City v Chelsea

Pep Guardiola wants his players to have fun despite their ambitions to win the treble

They may have two more Premier League matches to play and then two cup finals, but Pep Guardiola has told his Manchester City players to celebrate their Premier League title.

Guardiola, his team and staff lifted the Premier League Trophy for the fifth time in his seven years at the club and seventh time overall after a 1-0 win at home to Chelsea on Sunday.

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City next travel to Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday and Brentford on Sunday before the FA Cup final against Manchester United on 3 June and the UEFA Champions League final against Internazionale Milano seven days later.

But Guardiola says his players deserve a moment to enjoy being champions for all the stress he has put on them.

“I have been so demanding in this period,” Guardiola said. “We lift the trophy so to think of going to Brighton is so exhausting. We know how difficult they are.

“The players have to celebrate otherwise it makes no sense. We will arrive with time to rest mentally for the two finals against United and Inter.

“We have to play two more games. I said enjoy it but be careful because we will destruct what we have done in these competitions.

"We are going to try to be the first team to win four Premier Leagues"

Pep Guardiola

“Now I have the feeling that all of us are a little bit tired because it’s been a long season. Now it’s the tendency to think it’s done.

“Still we have tough games at Brighton and Brentford, hopefully it can pass quick and then we have seven days to prepare United and Inter.”

'What we've done is extraordinary'

But while affording his players freedom to celebrate, Guardiola says come 2023/24, he wants to make history with his champions.

“When we start next season, we are going to try to be the first team to win four Premier Leagues," he added.

“To be one of the greatest teams in Europe you have to win the Champions League otherwise maybe people will say it’s not complete. But just in case we cannot do it against Inter or next season, what we have done is extraordinary. Everybody knows it.

“The next season all the teams will want to beat us, it’s normal. Defending our crown, mentally we have to prepare for that. That will be the challenge."