Pep ‘arriving at the end of career’
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COACHING great Pep Guardiola hinted to NBC his present post as Manchester City manager may be his last, saying he was ‘arriving at the end’ of his stellar career.
The 45-year-old Spaniard — who gave the interview prior to City’s 2-1 victory over Burnley on Monday — added he would not be leaving any time soon.
City is presently third in the table seven points adrift of Chelsea having played a game more.
Chelsea plays fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur today.
“I will be at Manchester for the next three seasons, maybe more,” said Guardiola.
“I will not be on the bench until I am 60 or 65 years old. I feel the process of my goodbye has already started.
“I am arriving at the end of my coaching career, of this I am sure.”
Guardiola, who took a year’s sabbatical after he had delivered 14 trophies in his four years at the helm of Barcelona, was in sarcastic form when he gave an interview to the BBC in the immediate aftermath of the Burnley match which had seen City reduced to 10 men after Brazilian Fernandinho was red carded for the third time in six matches.
Asked for his thoughts on Fernandinho’s dismissal — for a two-footed foul on Johann Berg Gudmundsson — Guardiola responded: “You are the journalist, not me. Ask the referee.”
When it was put to him that Fernandinho might have a disciplinary problem, Guardiola said: “I have to understand the rules here in England. I know you’re a specialist, but I have to understand it.”
Told that he did not look too happy, Guardiola — who had constantly rubbed his nose throughout the interview like a nervous tic — forced a smile and said: “More than you believe. I’m so happy, believe me. Happy New Year.”
Elsewhere on Monday, Liverpool’s pursuit of Chelsea stalled as Juergen Klopp’s four-match winning run ended at Sunderland.
Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against a relegation-threatened Sunderland side gives Chelsea the platform to open up an 8-point lead by beating Spurs today.
Twice Liverpool led in northeast England — through Daniel Sturridge and Sadio Mane — but on both occasions Jermain Defoe scored penalties to draw Sunderland level. Mane’s hand-ball was responsible for conceding the second spotkick.
“I must be honest, it doesn’t feel good and it’s not because of the point, it’s because two penalties in a game,” Klopp said. “Usually what you have to do to get a penalty, to get two, that was harsh, very hard to accept.
“But obviously I have to accept it, so I will do it.”
At London Stadium, Manchester United reeled off a sixth successive league victory — 2-0 over West Ham United — in a match that turned on Sofiane Feghouli being harshly sent off for a late challenge on Phil Jones in the 15th minute.
Even with a man advantage, United took until the 63rd to score when substitutes Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata combined. Mata turned Rashford’s pullback past goalkeeper Darren Randolph before Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his 17th goal in his first season with United.
At Goodison Park, Liverpool, Everton scored three times in the last 17 minutes to ensure manager Ronald Koeman emerged with a 3-0 victory against Southampton, the club he left in the offseason.
Enner Valencia was the game-changer, coming off the bench to score the opener in the 73rd minute and then winning the penalty that Leighton Baines converted.
Romelu Lukaku contributed the third as 10th-place Southampton lost a third match inside a week. Everton is seventh.
Hull City, meanwhile, is now without a win in nine games and three points from safety after throwing away the lead at West Bromwich Albion to lose 1-3. Robert Snodgrass’ opener was canceled out by Chris Brunt before Gareth McAuley and James Morrison put the hosts in front.
In the early match, it was: Middlesbrough 0, Leicester 0.
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