Pep Guardiola spoke to the media on Friday afternoon ahead of Crystal Palace vs Manchester City.
Manchester City will be hoping to keep the pressure on Arsenal and Liverpool in the Premier League title race when they get this weekend’s fixture list underway in Saturday’s early kick-off.
Pep Guardiola’s side returned to winning ways with an emphatic 4-1 domination of Aston Villa on Wednesday, with Phil Foden grabbing a hat-trick and Rodri finding the back of the net.
The strong performance is a perfect confidence booster ahead of a potentially tricky trip to Selhurst Park, where City will face regular bogey team Crystal Palace.
With Arsenal not facing Brighton until 5:30pm on Saturday and Liverpool not in action until they take on Manchester United on Sunday, the Blues can potentially go top of the table for at least a few hours if they win by five goals.
Guardiola gave updates on the injury status of Ederson, Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake as well as Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne while also being asked about Phil Foden’s form.
Here is everything Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference.
Pep Guardiola’s press conference in full
Does City still being in third prove how tough the Premier League is?
“Yes. Quality of the other opponents. It is what it is. So that’s why we have to keep going and at the end we will see, we realise the team who was there. That’s for sure.”
Will Liverpool and Arsenal drop points?
“I hope so but that doesn’t solve the problem, if we don’t do our job.
“So we have to win the eight games left and wait. Until we’re top of the league it will be in our hands, it’s not that case so what you have to do is win our games.
“If it happens, I hope so but we can not control it. We control our destiny in our games. That’s all.”
Ederson, Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake injury updates
“Eddy (Ederson) is much better, maybe on the list. Nathan and Kyle are out.”
Is Phil Foden benefitting from a central role?
“I said many times, he can play many positions.
“But of course, if he wants to score goals he has to be close to the box and when you’re playing central positions you have more chances to score goals. It’s quite obvious.”
Thoughts on Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace
“Always have been tough. I think Glasner is doing a really good job so the quality is there with Eze, Ayew, Mateta and the other players. Good destructors. Strong defensively with Andersen leading the back five and physicality always was there. So Selhurst Park always is difficult, we know that.”
Do Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne come back into the starting XI?
“I don’t know yet. I don’t know yet. Playing 12:30 and just one, two days ago I have to think.”
How difficult is it to manage the squad?
“So many games.”
Potential change to Premier League Profit & Sustainability Rules
“I don’t have opinion. The decision the Premier League, UEFA, FIFA, I don’t have opinion. What they decide is fine for me.
“I said don’t have opinion.”
How do you manage the stress levels?
“We are used to it. For many, many years it happens that way. So one game at a time, don’t give up. Win the next game and after the destiny you can control is fine, wait.
“We are used to it. People recover well, we are used to playing every three days in the short margin for months and months.
“We are used to European competition so the players know they handle not all the time but most of the time they handle exactly what they have to do.
“Yeah, it’s nothing much. I don’t think what’s coming next is a lot, we play 12:30pm it’s perfect.
“No time to the next game in Madrid to recover, we play at eight so tomorrow more time to recover. So adapt.
“We play Saturday Chelsea in the FA Cup after, okay, Saturday. It’s not fair but we’re going to do it.
“Next adapt quick and try to do our job.
Not decided team yet due to 12:30pm kick-off?
“It’s about we play less than two days and a half, a game.
“Yeah absolutely [it’s physical]. The faces the players, how they play, how they recover quicker than the other ones.
“The other ones recover, take more time, many aspects when you play a long week, completely different.
“But I have to talk with the doctors, physios, my staff and I will decide tonight or tomorrow morning, early morning.”