“West Ham United Vs Manchester City” (CC BY 2.0) by joshjdss
Manchester City failed to inspire confidence under Manuel Pellegrini last season as they just about held off Manchester United in the race for the fourth and final Champions League spot. However, the tide is turning at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola is now at the helm and the former Barcelona boss has already made a number of moves to strengthen City’s squad ahead of what could be a memorable campaign for the club.
Guardiola has brought the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane and John Stones into the club and it looks like Claudio Bravo may be the next man to join City before the transfer window slams shut. Traditionally, their new boss has been very busy in the market and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see a number of high-profile players, namely Joe Hart, Wilfried Bony and Yaya Toure, look for a move elsewhere as Guardiola starts to mould his squad.
Pep Guardiola wants to offload Yaya Toure, Eliaquim Mangala and Wilfried Bony at Man City https://t.co/QSxD20t2bu pic.twitter.com/shbKDm1FJJ
— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) August 16, 2016
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The Premier League title will be Pep’s number one priority but many supporters will expect City to challenge for silverware across the board this time around. Last season, the Blues defied the odds to reach the Champions League semi-final but were beaten over two legs by eventual winners Real Madrid. And with Guardiola in charge, City could be on the verge of something very special…
At the time of writing, City are priced at 12/1 in Betway’s Champions League markets to win the competition and plenty of punters will be backing the Blues to go one better and reach the final at the very least. If anyone can take City to the top of European football, it is Pep Guardiola. The title is the primary objective but a Champions League triumph would send a statement to the rest of Europe: City are the real deal and they are here to stay.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ-E6Rla7RM]It will be difficult but Pep’s City are capable of winning two trophies this season – which says a lot about Guardiola’s ability to inspire and get the most out of his players. Without a doubt, City are on the rise and it is only a matter of time before the Blues begin to dominate in Europe as well. Pep is building a monster at the Etihad Stadium and fans will almost begin to expect trophies on a yearly basis; and that is exactly how it should be.
Last season, the Capital One Cup didn’t feel like a success but that is testament to how the Sky Blues have matured into one of England’s elite clubs in recent years. Guardiola is the right man to take City forward and the club will be a major threat in all four major competitions this season. While the two domestic cup tournaments aren’t exactly at the top of Pep’s list of priorities, he dominated whilst at Barcelona and could try to guide City to an unprecedented quadruple during his tenure at the Etihad Stadium.
[protected-iframe id=”de7d5613e8f63a004818c67237263619-114320562-9031552″ info=”//giphy.com/embed/3o6Zt0GmFLrlUrFHBS?html5=true” width=”480″ height=”270″ frameborder=”0″ class=”giphy-embed”]Guardiola isn’t the messiah but he is a fantastic football manager and is the perfect fit for Manchester City. The rest of the Premier League should beware, Pep’s City will be very difficult to beat. The Blues aren’t unbeatable just yet but Guardiola’s new-look side could evolve into European football’s next major superpower if the Spaniard gets his own way…
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