Pep Guardiola fears World Cup may disrupt Man City's rhythm

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola fears the World Cup could play havoc with the rhythm of his side.

Qatar 2022 kicks off on November 20 - the first time the global finals have been switched from summer to winter.

City, champions of England four of the past five seasons and looking for a hat-trick of top-flight titles, are perennial slow starters, with Guardiola nearly always the last manager to recall his players from their summer break and someone who eschews more than a couple of warm-up matches.

Despite two draws, City have made a fast start to the new Premier League campaign, winning the other four and scoring 20 goals.

“It is so important to maintain our consistent start to the season,” said Guardiola. “I am not thinking much outside the next game."

Mindful of the rigours of a long and arduous season on four fronts — City kicked off their Champions League quest with a 4-0 win over Sevilla on Tuesday — and the physical and mental toll that will take on a high-quality but deliberately small squad, the Catalan maestro prefers to build to a crescendo through the middle of the season.

November and December have traditionally been a time when City flourish. However, Guardiola knows he cannot rely on that regular surge this time around, with the Premier League resuming only on December 26 — 12 days after the World Cup final.

“Two seasons ago we lost seven points in the first five games and last season we lost five points in the first five games," he added. "We cannot forget three seasons ago when Liverpool won the Premier League, we lost five points in the first five games.

SEVILLA RATINGS: Bono – 4. Never stood a chance for the goals, made some important saves to limit Manchester City to just four with their