Pep Guardiola cut a thoughtful figure in the media auditorium when he addressed reporters ahead of the final Premier League weekend. The Catalan admitted that the twenty twenty four twenty twenty five campaign has been one of the most complex of his tenure, citing an unprecedented injury cascade, fixture congestion caused by the winter Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, and ongoing uncertainty surrounding proposed domestic spending restrictions. City entered April sitting fifth but a run of five wins from seven has left them within touching distance of Arsenal in second and still alive in the FA Cup. Guardiola pointed to the emergence of players such as Rico Lewis, Oscar Bobb and Yuito Nagayama as the silver lining of a season where Kevin De Bruyne missed four months and Ruben Dias suffered two separate muscular setbacks.
He revealed that the coaching staff added extra recovery days, scrapped double sessions in February and leaned heavily on individual video analysis to compensate for limited training time. Asked about transfer priorities he reiterated that continuity remains the cornerstone, though he conceded negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz would represent a significant evolution of the midfield. Guardiola also thanked supporters for unwavering backing despite a record seven league defeats, describing the South Stand atmosphere as electric during the recent four nil dismantling of Newcastle. With Champions League qualification now assured, his message to the squad was clear: finish strong, lift silverware at Wembley and carry momentum into a summer that promises both rest and tactical recalibration.
