Manchester City news: It’s better to think about Burnley first, says Pep Guardiola

Manchester City will be one of the teams to look out for in the finals weeks of the current domestic season. The Blues are very much in with a chance to complete a rare treble this campaign. They are sitting at the top of the Premier League table and are in the semifinals of the FA Cup, and the quarterfinals of the Champions League. From here on, almost every match will be like a final for Pep Guardiola’s team. In the domestic cup, Liverpool will be Manchester City’s last four opponents, while La Liga champions Atletico Madrid will take on City in Europe’s premier club competition. But, all the teams have to first endure the final international break of the season before domestic action resumes again.

Guardiola started by agreeing that the players need a break, but at the same time he is happy to be involved in the fight for three titles. However, the former Barcelona manager is not looking too far ahead and has maintained his focus on the next match against Burnley. “We are there,” Pep was quoted as saying by the club’s website. “I think everyone needs a little bit of a break. It will be good to see new faces for a while on holiday this week. After we come back, we know what we have. We have the quarter-final of the Champions League, we have the Premier League, we have semi-finals of the FA Cup. The nice thing for the team is that fact.

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Pep Guardiola on treble talks

“Arriving in the last weeks of the season we are there fighting for the titles. This is so nice. I would have smiled at the beginning of the season to be in front of you at this stage and to be in this position. How many times has it [the treble] happened in this country? Once. It is not easy. Hopefully, the players come back from the national team because it is tough to fight for many things.

“Now we have 15 days off and they’ll arrive two days before they have play Burnley and then it’s Liverpool and Atletico Madrid. Maybe one day UEFA can explain the reason why. It is what it is. It [the treble] is far, far away. It’s better to think about Burnley first.”

Guardiola then shifted his attention to Raheem Sterling after the English winger was at the top of his game in the win over Southampton in the FA Cup at the weekend. “Raheem deserves the best things,” he said.

“I said many times, what we have done these seasons would not have been possible without him. He is an important player but right now I have never had this amount of quality, the huge talent I have up front, in the six seasons [as City manager].

“Even Gabriel [Jesus]. He is a top player, made an assist and won the penalty. But sometimes I don’t select him. I am glad Sterling played really well. He was so aggressive in the final third, always created things. I am very pleased for him.”