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Pep Guardiola: Rivals want Manchester City to fail more than ever

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Pep Guardiola says people want Manchester City to fail "more than ever" after the club won the fifth trophy of a remarkable year.City return to domestic action at Everton on Wednesday having added the FIFA Club World Cup to their previous 2023 successes in the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and European Super Cup.It is a unique achievement in English football, yet Guardiola won six trophies as Barcelona boss in 2009 when the Catalan club won La Liga, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup, Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup titles."It is a business you get credit when you win," City manager Guardiola said ahead of his side's trip to Goodison Park."You don’t win you are nothing, zero, what you have done in the past."As much as you win they want you to fail.

More than ever. I felt than when we won the sextuple in Barcelona."It’s normal. They don’t want (us to win). In these 14-15 years what we have won, the titles, is unbelievable."People say 'how good they play, how genius it is’.

But they give credit just because we win. They don’t have to look further than that."City swept aside Brazilian opponents Fluminense 4-0 on Friday to win their first Club World Cup.The victory crowned a successful five days in Saudi Arabia for City, with Guardiola saying the trip "created incredible team building and team spirit".But patchy domestic form over the past month – only one win in six games with four draws and a defeat – has left City off the Premier League pace, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham filling the top four positions on Boxing Day.Guardiola said: "In the moment you don’t win you are going to get doubts, absolutely everything."But that is what is nice.

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Pep Guardiola said Manchester City showed the heart of champions to fight back to beat Newcastle 3-2 on Saturday thanks to a Kevin De Bruyne masterclass on his return to Premier League action. The Belgian came off the bench to score and set up Oscar Bobb's stoppage-time winner to announce his comeback from a five-month injury layoff in style. Victory takes City up to second in the table, two points behind Liverpool, and ominously poised to strike when they return from a two-week winter break, by which point Erling Haaland may be fit to join De Bruyne in terrorising opposition defences.
Erling Haaland has not played in a month after picking up a foot injury that ruled him out of the Club World Cup.
Manchester City moved to within two points of Premier League leaders Liverpool with a routine win over Sheffield United on Saturday.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes their 3-1 victory in a “massive” game at Everton will serve as a reminder to their rivals not to write them off.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes their 3-1 victory in a "massive" game at Everton will serve as a reminder to their rivals not to write them off.

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