"I’M UPSET" PEP GUARDIOLA’S HILARIOUS RESPONSE TO MANCHESTER CITY’S TRANSFER BUDGET
Pep Guardiola hits back at "big spender" claims, revealing six clubs have higher net spends than City. Get the full injury news.
Pep Guardiola couldn’t resist poking fun at Manchester City’s big-spender label, joking that he’s annoyed with the club’s bosses for not splashing out even more in the transfer market. City did bring in Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi in January, bumping their spending over the last year to £430 million. But here’s the thing—City have also raked in hundreds of millions from player sales, and if you look at net spend over the last five years, six Premier League clubs, including Newcastle (who they’re facing in the Carabao Cup semi-final), have actually outspent them.
Guardiola has pushed back plenty of times against the idea that City just buy their way to success. This time, he couldn’t resist turning the spotlight on the teams that have spent even more. “Honestly, I’m a bit sad and upset because, in terms of net spend, we’re only seventh in the league over the past five years. I want to be first—I don’t get why the club doesn’t spend more. I’m a little grumpy with them,” he laughed.
He kept going: “People say we only win because we spend tonnes of money, but now there are six teams ahead of us. So, they’ve got to win all the Premier Leagues, Champions Leagues, and FA Cups, right? That’s just the reality, not an opinion.
“You can argue about how we played against Spurs—good or bad, that’s up for debate. But these spending numbers? That’s just a fact. Good luck to those six teams ahead of us on net spend. Let’s see what they do. That’s a good quote, isn’t it?”
Right now, City has a 2-0 lead over Newcastle with one leg left in the Carabao Cup semi-final. They’re hungry for another trip to Wembley, but hanging onto leads hasn’t been easy for them this season.
“That’s our focus right now,” Guardiola said. “We’re one game away from making a fifth Carabao Cup final in ten years. Sure, I’d rather start 2-0 up, but we know how tough it is against Newcastle. They’ve got Champions League pride; they always fight.
“We’ve got to be ready. Let’s see how the players bounce back after that hard game at Spurs. We’ll play our football, with our fans behind us, and try to book our place at Wembley in March.”
THE REAL: REASON JEREMY DOKU BELIEVES THE NEXT FOUR GAMES WILL DEFINE CITY’S SEASON
Jeremy Doku praises City's pride after Bernardo Silva's red card, eyeing redemption in Sunday's Carabao Cup final.
Jérémy Doku sees winning the Carabao Cup as a helpful way for Manchester City to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment. After being knocked out by Real Madrid for the third consecutive year, with a 5-1 aggregate loss in the round of 16, the team faces a tough challenge to regroup quickly.
Pep Guardiola's squad now has to shift focus to their upcoming trip to Wembley, where they’ll take on Arsenal on Sunday. Despite the setback in Europe, Doku feels that lifting a trophy this week would help erase the recent frustration.
He said, “It’s a good way to recover. We’ll do everything we can to win that game and bring home a trophy. The next four matches really matter. We have to recover well for Sunday and then take it one game at a time.”
What lies ahead will likely define the city's season. After the Carabao Cup final, they face an FA Cup quarterfinal against Liverpool following the international break, as well as two critical Premier League games against Chelsea and Arsenal.
“There’s still plenty at stake,” Doku added. “We’re competing in three different competitions, with three trophies still on the table. If we manage to win one, it’ll still be a strong season for us. Of course, missing out on the Champions League is disappointing. It’s always a special trophy. But we have to learn from those games against Real Madrid, recover properly, and focus on what’s next.”
City endured a tough week, following a 3-0 loss in Madrid with a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Etihad. One pivotal moment was Bernardo Silva’s early red card in the second leg.
Yet, Doku draws some confidence from how the team performed despite being down to 10 men against such a formidable opponent.
“We have reasons to be proud,” he reflected. “Playing against a team like Real Madrid with one less player and still causing them problems isn’t something every team can do. We didn’t get the win, but we can look each other in the eye knowing we gave a good performance both with 11 players and with 10. We created chances and played well.”
He went on to say, “If we bring that kind of effort to every match, we’ll trouble many teams. There are valuable takeaways from this game that we can carry into the next.”
WHY PEP GUARDIOLA CANCELLED TRAINING BEFORE MANCHESTER CITY’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REMATCH
Pep Guardiola cancels Manchester City training to combat fatigue ahead of the 3-0 comeback attempt vs Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola has shared his reasoning for skipping training the day before Manchester City’s crucial Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at the Etihad. Facing a tough three-goal deficit from their 3-0 loss at the Bernabeu last week, City are up against the difficult task of overturning this against a team that has won Europe’s top trophy 15 times.
Historically, only four teams have managed to claw back a gap of three or more goals in the knockout stages, so the challenge ahead is immense. Guardiola acknowledges his players will need to deliver an almost flawless performance if they hope to stage a remarkable comeback on home turf. Still, he remains hopeful they will create plenty of scoring chances against Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
In a somewhat unexpected move, Guardiola has decided to give his first team a day off on Monday, opting for a light session just hours before kickoff on Tuesday. At Monday’s press conference, he explained the logic behind this approach, citing the fatigue from travel and recent matches. After returning late from Madrid, then heading to London for a Premier League draw against West Ham, the players have had a packed schedule. Guardiola feels a day of rest will serve them better than trying to squeeze in more training.
He further emphasised the mental aspect, pointing out that mental strength plays a big role in how well they perform. He plans to assess the players’ condition and conduct training on Tuesday afternoon. With travel taking its toll and players spontaneously connecting with their families, he believes keeping them relaxed and fresh is crucial.
Captain Bernardo Silva, who was the only City player present for media duties, supported Guardiola’s decision. He reflected on past occasions when the team took rest days following both wins and losses, trusting the manager’s judgement to help them regroup and come back stronger.
On team news, Guardiola revealed he has most of his starting lineup settled, though one spot remains uncertain. Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Rico Lewis (ankle) are sidelined, but Mateo Kovacic has returned to the bench after recovering from a lengthy ankle and heel injury. With these preparations in place, City will be charging into a daunting but pivotal night against one of Europe’s giants.
