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Reuters

After Manchester City continued their seemingly unstoppable Premier League rampage on Wednesday, manager Pep Guardiola was left trying to calm the growing hype by suggesting his old Barcelona charges still remain Europe’s team to beat.
Even though City were wasteful and a mite distracted in their 1-0 win at Newcastle, the fact they still chalked up a record-extending 18th successive Premier League win with some comfort still told of their relentless excellence.
So, as Guardiola reflected on a 15-point lead at the top of the table, it was little surprise he was asked afterwards whether City now had to be considered favourites for the Champions League as Europe’s mesmerising form side.
“Who does [Lionel] Messi play for?” was Guardiola’s response.
“Barcelona,” came the reporter’s answer.
“So they’re the favourites,” shrugged the manager.

Guardiola should know. As the man who oversaw Messi’s flowering at the Nou Camp during a triumphant reign, he was once so enraptured on the touchline, he turned to a fan, saying: “If it wasn’t for him, I’d be coaching in La Segunda [the second division of La Liga]”.
Yet his City side continue to play such a dazzling brand of football many observers feel they now look equipped to take the mantle of the continent’s pass-and-move masters.
The compliments showering him and his team seem to have only made Guardiola keener to ignore all the swooning from the rest of English football.
Even his compatriot Rafa Benitez seemed so awestruck by Guardiola’s creation he set up his Newcastle side with an approach of startling negativity until a Raheem Sterling goal after half an hour of incessant City pressure demanded a change.
“We did absolutely everything but it is difficult to play when the other team doesn’t want to play,” sighed Guardiola in what seemed an accurate description of much of the one-sided fare.

Yet City only scoring once and nearly surrendering a late equaliser despite hitting the woodwork three times, enjoying 78 per cent possession and having 21 shots to Newcastle’s six, showed to Guardiola that hard graft still lies ahead.
If there are any concerns for him, they surely lie in the continuing problems he has with the fitness of his central defenders.
Once again, the injury-plagued captain Vincent Kompany limped off after minutes with an apparent recurrence of his persistent calf problems.
“I don’t know,” Guardiola said, when asked about the severity of the latest injury. “I don’t know what is going to happen. Unfortunately he is injured again like the last three years.
“We are going to see how long it will be before he is ready.”
With another key central defender John Stones injured, Guardiola is expected to be shopping for quality backup in the January transfer window although Liverpool’s signing of Virgil van Dijk on Wednesday may have scuppered his number one hope.


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‘Who does Messi play for?’ Pep Guardiola sees Barcelona as Champions League favourites still

epaselect epa06403928 FC Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring the 0-2 goal during the Spanish Primera Division match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, 23 December 2017. EPA-EFE/RODRIGO JIMENENZ

epa02756868 Barcelona players celebrate their coach Josep Guardiola throwing him in the air after the team won the UEFA Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Manchester United at the Wembley Stadium, London, Britain, 28 May 2011. EPA/LINDSEY PARNABY

FILE - In this Tuesday, May 3, 2011 file photo FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, front, and coach Josep Guardiola celebrate during a semi final, 2nd leg Champions League soccer match against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. Pep Guardiola will not continue as Barcelona's coach after this season, according to Spanish news reports. Guardiola, whose contract expires at the end of the season, is scheduled to announce his decision on Friday April 27, 2012, in a news conference at 1330 local time (1130 GMT) with club president Sandro Rosell and sports director Andoni Zubizarreta. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

Sport

Football

Manchester City have chalked up 18 successive Premier League wins but their manager says his old side remain Europe’s most fearsome


English Premier League

‘Who does Messi play for?’ Pep Guardiola sees Barcelona as Champions League favourites still

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Manchester City have chalked up 18 successive Premier League wins but their manager says his old side remain Europe’s most fearsome

Manchester City have chalked up 18 successive Premier League wins but their manager says his old side remain Europe’s most fearsome