Guardiola confident City can close gap on London rivals
(Reuters) - Manchester City will close the gap on rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur next season, manager Pep Guardiola has said after the side secured a third-placed Premier League finish in his debut campaign.
City endured an inconsistent season, finishing 13 points behind champions Chelsea and eight behind Tottenham as the Spaniard failed to secure a trophy for the first time in his managerial career.
"Always the leagues are complicated to win," Guardiola said during a Q&A with fans on Thursday.
"But of course we are going to close the gap between especially Chelsea and Tottenham, trying to be close for the next season."
Guardiola also said that his first season in England did not call for too much adjustment compared to his time with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
"It's not too much, the principles are the same so the way you want to play is the same, so of course I adjust," the Spaniard said.
"When I adjust it's because of the quality of the players not because here the Premier League is different from the other ones. But the fundamental principles are the same."
City have already splashed out big money on striker Bernardo Silva and goalkeeper Ederson Moares to strengthen their squad for next season.
(Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; Editing by John O'Brien)