LONDON (AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE) – Pep Guardiola will be in charge of his 200th Premier League game when his Manchester City side host Crystal Palace at the Etihad on Saturday (Oct 30), but he is unsure if he will stay for another 200.
“No, I don’t think so,” said the Spaniard, who has won three Premier League titles, four League Cups, an FA Cup and is contracted until the summer of 2023.
But that did not mean that the City boss was seeking an exit soon, as he reflected on the business side of modern football yesterday.
“I’ve been many years here. When you have 200 games it’s because you’ve won some games,” he said. “No secrets (about his lengthy tenure). We are judged on the results, not on how good we are or bad we are, just the results.
“You can get these milestones because we have done quite decent. I don’t have any regrets, I couldn’t demand or ask more for what we have done so far, it’s impossible. Hopefully in the years to come we can continue working really well.”
When asked how he felt about Ronald Koeman’s sacking this week at Barcelona, the club he managed from 2008 to 2012, the 50-year-old added: “Society wants one guy responsible for good and especially bad things.
“Should be different maybe but it’s not going to change. We have to accept it. When I took over (City), I knew from day one I would stay longer if I get results and not because I am better or worse.”
Guardiola knows nothing less than a win will do today as City seek to bounce back from their League Cup last-16 loss to West Ham on penalties in midweek.
City are third in the Premier League table after nine matches, one point behind Liverpool (21) and two behind leaders Chelsea.
Unbeaten in eight games since their opening-day loss to Tottenham, City are clear favourites to claim all three points today.
Their tally of 12 goals on home soil is the second-best behind Chelsea’s 16, and they are up against a struggling Palace side who have won just one and drawn six of their nine league games under their new boss Patrick Vieira.
Guardiola has no fresh injury concerns. For Palace, Eberechi Eze and Nathan Ferguson are still out with long-term injuries.