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

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. That is OK. Doubt again,