Pep Guardiola said Erling Haaland's response to an awful miss in the first half of Manchester City's 3-1 win over Manchester United on Sunday showed the mental strength of a sporting great.

"He is the same player, he has the same manager, and the way we play has not changed," Guardiola told reporters

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is expecting a tougher challenge from Manchester United in the coming years after British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe's purchase of a minority stake in the club was completed this week.

Guardiola made the comment in a press conference in December 2022 after leaving out Phillips for a League Cup tie against Liverpool.

Saturday's result at the Etihad ended an 11-match winning run that began at the FIFA Club World Cup in December.

Mauricio Pochettino has promised his Chelsea side will attack Manchester City when they travel to the Premier League champions' Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Chelsea appear lambs to the slaughter ahead of a trip to Manchester City on Saturday with the English champions hitting top form as the business end of the season approaches.

Haaland scored his first goals since November in a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday after spending two months on the sidelines due to a foot injury.

Manchester City can provisionally return to the top of the table with a home win over Everton in the early Premier League match on Saturday, although manager Pep Guardiola said he preferred to see where his team stood once the schedule evened out.

Pep Guardiola said Phil Foden is enjoying his best season at Manchester City after the England international's hat-trick beat Brentford 3-1 on Monday to leave the Premier League's top three separated by just two points.

Pep Guardiola dismissed suggestions that Erling Haaland is not happy at Manchester City on Friday as he said the Norwegian is ready to make his first start in two months.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said he will "sleep a bit better" after his "biggest rival" Jurgen Klopp rocked the football world with his shock decision to leave Liverpool at the end of this season.

UEFA banned City from European competition for two years in February 2020 for breaching its Financial Fair Play rules, but the ban was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Spaniard, however, was not just waxing lyrical about the returning Belgian after a thrilling victory, he had warm words for Norwegian youngster Oscar Bobb whose goal from De Bruyne's assist secured the points in stoppage time.

The Belgium international came on as a 57th-minute substitute and set up a goal as the holders cruised to a 5-0 win over second-tier strugglers Huddersfield in a thoroughly lopsided clash at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

No club in English football history has enjoyed such a successful year.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said lifting the Club World Cup on Friday would be something his players can cherish forever as he played down the importance of the English champions' patchy Premier League form.

Manchester City's treble-winning coach Pep Guardiola and England women manager Sarina Wiegman are among the finalists for The Best FIFA men's coach and women's coach awards, world soccer's governing body said on Wednesday.

"As a manager I sometimes need that, I need that challenge," Guardiola told a press conference on Friday.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said he still feels his side are going to win the Premier League for a record fourth year in a row despite drawing their last three games.