Pep Guardiola has unleashed a brutal spending spree on Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal as Man City’s history

In February, Manchester City’s minds were focused on what they could achieve this season. Now Pep Guardiola wants his players to make history and defy the lazy stereotypes he believes are being used to minimize their achievements.

Defending their treble from last season, City’s players asked each other how they could improve on their historic achievements in 2023/24. Some settled on the quadruple, but that dream was dashed early in the Carabao Cup. The consolation of the Super Cup and Club World Cup made up for that, and while their Champions League defense was ended by Real Madrid last month, they are on course for another double.

By winning the Premier League, the Blues would become the first team to win four English top-flight titles in a row – a feat Guardiola was keen to highlight when asked if making history was a motivation for him and his players.

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“At the start of the season no, we didn’t think about the four Premier Leagues,” he admitted. “If we’re in February, March, April, we’re still there, that we can still do it, it sparks something in our head that says, ‘guys, no team has done it, that shows you how hard it is.'”

To make his point, Guardiola pointed to the greats Liverpool and Manchester United, plus more recent eras of success at Chelsea and Arsenal. He said: “Liverpool in the 80s, Sir Alex Ferguson’s United in the 90s, Chelsea with (Roman) Abramovic and Jose (Mourinho) and Arsenal with (Arsene) Wenger didn’t do it, so if it wasn’t done, it’s difficult, it’s as simple as that.”

Guardiola also took a dig at his more modern rivals, noting that City’s net spending was lower than a number of clubs that failed to win a Premier League title during his time at the club, with the Blues’ spending similar to the rest at the top . of the table. Referring to a ranking of net spending over the past five seasons, Guardiola took aim at Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United for their lack of success despite – what he reckons – considerably higher spending.

Guardiola said: “Before you know what it was? It was the money (that won titles). For this reason: Man United should have won all the titles. All of them. And second, Chelsea all the titles. And third Arsenal. .. all titles have spent as much money as they should be new.

“This is why Girona shouldn’t be in the Champions League and Leicester shouldn’t have won the Premier League years ago. Is it boring now? It’s not boring. It’s so hard to be here again and we want to we win

“But to do something that in this country no team has done, you have to do something special, exceptional, I would say. It’s never happened in the Premier League and we have to do it this time. History is in front of us and we have to accept that we didn’t, otherwise Arsenal will be champions.