Man City Have ‘Recovered Many Things’ – Guardiola

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City have rediscovered the spirit and identity that defined their title-winning years, insisting there is still more to come from his side despite a challenging start to the season.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has admitted that last season’s struggles forced the club to rethink, reset, and rebuild, and he believes the hard work is beginning to pay off. Speaking ahead of City’s League Cup third-round clash against third-tier Huddersfield Town, the Spaniard reflected on his team’s evolution over the past two transfer windows and praised the squad for “recovering many things” that had been missing.

Guardiola’s men endured a trophyless campaign last season, his first without major silverware in eight years, prompting sweeping changes within the squad. Long-serving stalwarts including Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and goalkeeper Ederson all departed, while fresh faces were brought in to give the team a new look and a fresh sense of hunger.

City’s start to the new Premier League season has been mixed, with the champions currently sitting ninth in the table, eight points adrift of early leaders Liverpool after just five matches. A 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Sunday, secured after conceding a late equalizer, meant more points dropped, but Guardiola was keen to highlight the positives, especially his team’s defensive resilience.

“I’m really proud of this fight,” Guardiola told reporters at the club’s training ground. “We recovered many, many things that last season we missed. We have an incredible spirit again. You can feel it inside the dressing room and you can see it on the pitch.”

The Catalan tactician admitted that his decision to adopt a more conservative approach against Arsenal was deliberate, even if it drew criticism from some quarters. “Of course we cannot sustain that style for the entire season, and we don’t want to,” he explained. “But you have to give credit to the opponent – Arsenal are a top team, they can punish you if you open up too much.”

Guardiola emphasized that City’s progress should not be measured purely by league position at this stage of the campaign, but by how well the squad is adapting to the changes and rediscovering its trademark intensity.

“Especially since the win against United, we’ve started to recover many of the qualities that made us who we are, pressing together, fighting for every ball, playing with passion. This is what defines Manchester City,” he said.

He likened the process of rebuilding confidence to nurturing a child. “We have to take care of this spirit like a father or a mother takes care of their son. It is precious. Once you have it back, you have to protect it.”

Guardiola also called on the fans to stay patient as the new-look side continues to gel. “We can do better, yes, and we will do it. We can make better decisions – yes, and we will do it. The important thing is that the players are fighting and they are united.”

City have been dominant in domestic cup competitions under Guardiola, winning the League Cup four times since his arrival in 2016, and Wednesday’s clash with Huddersfield offers a chance to rotate the squad and build momentum. A deep run in the competition could also boost morale as City look to climb the league table and reignite their title challenge.

For Guardiola, the signs are encouraging. “Last season hurt us, all of us,” he admitted. “But from that pain, something good has come, a new motivation, a new energy. That is why I say we have recovered many things. Now we have to keep going.”

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