"We will be trembling when we play against them" - Pep Guardiola says Manchester City will be worried when they face one PL side
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has shared his concerns regarding facing Newcastle United this season. The Cityzens are outright favorites to retain the Premier League title having won four successive titles in the last four seasons.
Guardiola's side kicked off their Premier League defence with a statement win against Chelsea beating the Blues 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on August 18. They will take on newly promoted Ipswich Town at the Etihad on Saturday, August 24.
Pep Guardiola has dominated English football since he arrived at Manchester City in 2016. He has won 18 trophies during his stint at the Etihad including six Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea and Liverpool have been the only teams to win the Premier League during Guardiola's reign in the blue half of Manchester. Arsenal gave strong contention to the Sky Blues in the last two seasons missing out on the title by five and two points, respectively.
However, Guardiola has surprisingly not named the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool as Manchester City's biggest threats this season. He has insisted that Newcastle United would be a huge threat this season as they won't have European competition. The Spaniard said to Men in Blazers as quoted by ESPN UK on X:
"Newcastle will be back because it's one game a week. They don't have European competition and the energy they play with, the physicality, with just one game a week. When we play against them, we will be trembling."
Newcastle United had a pretty disappointing season last time out as they finished seventh in the Premier League, losing 14 league games. Champions League football and injuries took a toll on the Magpies' Premier League season.
They finished fourth in the Premier League in the 2022-23 season and looked like a force to reckon with. Guardiola, however, has a strong record against Newcastle United winning 13 of the 17 clashes against the Tynesiders, losing just twice.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on whether the Sky Blues could re-sign Raheem Sterling
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has opened up on the suggestions on his side being linked with a move for Raheem Sterling. The England international, who spent the best years of his career at the Etihad, has gone out of favor at Chelsea.
Sterling has been completely axed from the Blues' first team and is currently training on his own at home. Chelsea are clearly looking to part ways with the 29-year-old, who is understood to be keen on staying in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola, who only recently reunited with another former player Ilkay Gundogan, has refused to comment on Sterling's situation. He admitted that he feels attached to the Englishman who spent a long time under him at Manchester City. He said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano:
"He's a Chelsea player, absolutely. I feel so attached to the time we lived together with Raheem, and Enzo. So I just wish him all the best, but he's of course, a Chelsea player."
Sterling spent seven years at Manchester City making 339 appearances, contributing with 131 goals and 73 assists and winning numerous trophies. He featured 292 times under Guardiola and scored 120 goals while producing 65 assists.
The former Liverpool attacker joined Chelsea in the summer of 2022 in a reported £47.5 million deal. He has scored 19 goals and provided 12 assists in 81 appearances for the Blues so far.