Chronicle EditorMANCHESTER. – Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said it is “ridiculous” to suggest that the English Premier League soccer leaders can emulate Arsenal’s Invincibles of 2003-04 and go through the season unbeaten. Free-scoring City moved five points clear at the top of the table as Sergio Aguero’s landmark 177th strike for the club helped them to a 3-0 win over Burnley at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola’s side are the only undefeated team left in the league after their club record-equalling 11th consecutive win in all competitions but the Spaniard is not getting carried away with talk of going the distance without a loss.
Comparisons are already being made with some of the great teams of the past, notably Arsenal’s “Invincibles” of 2003-04, but City boss Guardiola has refused to be drawn on such records.
“To finish unbeatable, that is not going to happen because we are in a lot of games and a lot of competitions are so demanding, more than ever. To win with this kind of record sounds ridiculous,” he told the British media.
“There will be a moment when we are going down. In that moment I am curious and I will test myself as a manager with the players and see how we are going to react.
“I know people like a lot the statistics and to compare one to another one with titles, and I am happy for the 11 wins in a row because we showed that we can win a lot of games in a row. But that’s all.”
Arsenal’s 2003-04 team ended the Premier League campaign as champions with 26 wins and 12 draws.
Guardiola said even the Golden State Warriors, NBA’s dominant force in recent seasons, had tasted defeat in a shaky start to their regular season and warned City there could be bumps on the road ahead.
“We are going to lose games, of course, but complacency, being (too) relaxed, is what we are not. That is not going to happen with me.” – Reuters.
Online Reporter