How Pep Guardiola is managing title race pressure in Manchester City dressing room

Guardiola discusses title race pressure ahead of Arsenal

Speaking in a press conference ahead of this weekend’s blockbuster clash of the titans, Guardiola was quizzed on how he keeps pressure off the players in a Premier League title race.

“I think the pressure is that they put the pressure to say, ‘Oh, if I win, I will be a champion. If I don’t win, it will be a disaster.’ That is the type of pressure that I never, never talk about to the players,” the 55-year-old said.

“I always have to feel the pressure to say, ‘Guys, did I convince you today to play in that way? Because we do things, it depends on the quality’. So if you believe it, the pressure doesn’t exist.

“And the players know, ‘Ah, I’m going to do this, and do that. And I’m able to do this because I’m good enough. We’re going to win the game’. We have to try to visualise doing this, ‘We can do it’. Always I approach games in that way.”

If we lose on Sunday, Arsenal will be champions – Pep

Guardiola went on to admit that Manchester City’s hopes of a seventh Premier League title under his management are riding on Sunday’s fixture.

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“If we lose (on Sunday), they will be champions,” the Catalan added. “We can finish the press conferences. It’s a football game, no more than that.

“And as much as it’s just a football game, go there and behave like we have to do. I was a football player and my manager convinced me or told me, ‘Guys, do it that way, in that way’.

“I said, ‘Yeah. Oh, the space is here. Pressing that way. Second ball, or whatever. All the details’. And after that, just play. Play on. The final, and everybody anticipates all the questions, ‘What happens if you lose?’”