Pep Guardiola: Man City must imitate Barcelona, Juventus and Bayern Munich

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has urged the club to “imitate” the success of European heavyweights Barcelona, Juventus and Bayern Munich.

Going into February the defending Premier League champions are still in contention in four competitions, but Guardiola has played down talk of a potential “quadruple”.

Speaking ahead of City’s Premier League clash away at Newcastle tomorrow night, he told Sky Sports: “I know you are so generous and thank you very much guys but every time you make that comment [winning the quadruple] we lose a competition.

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“It’s important that in January we are there. With the big clubs, that is the big difference. What are the best clubs in the last decade? Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, these are the best three teams in the last decade in Europe.

“Why? Because every season they win the league, every season they win the cups, every season they are there and that is what I want.”

Pep’s dream

City are four points behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race, through to the last 16 of the Uefa Champions League against Schalke and are also into the fifth round of the FA Cup.

On 24 February they will get the chance to win their first trophy of the season when they face Chelsea at Wembley in the final of the Carabao Cup - a competition they also won last season.

The Spaniard says that if City want to be compared to Europe’s best clubs then they have to be in contention for every trophy, every season.

“When I say Bayern Munich, Juventus, Barcelona are the best it is because it doesn’t matter what happened before, they go again, and again, and again,” he said.

“That is the most difficult thing. Win one night, two nights, one title, two titles - that can happen but that consistency every three days for 11 months, for ten years, that’s what I respect and admire the most.

“That will be my dream in the club, to live something [like that] that in the period that we were together, every single game and every single competition we tried to do that. And so far we have done it.”

Manchester City’s next ten fixtures

• 29 January, Premier League: Newcastle United vs. Man City
• 3 February, Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal
• 6 February, Premier League: Everton vs. Man City
• 10 February, Premier League: Man City vs. Chelsea
• 20 February, Champions League last-16 first-leg: Schalke vs. Man City
• 24 February, Carabao Cup final: Chelsea vs. Man City
• 27 February, Premier League: Man City vs. West Ham United
• 2 March, Premier League: Bournemouth vs. Man City
• 9 March, Premier League: Man City vs. Watford
• 12 March, Champions League last-16 second-leg: Man City vs. Schalke

This week’s Premier League fixtures and TV guide

Tuesday 29 January (7.45pm unless stated)

• Arsenal vs. Cardiff City
• Fulham vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
• Huddersfield Town vs. Everton
• Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. West Ham United
• Manchester United vs. Burnley (8pm)
• Newcastle United vs. Manchester City (8pm, live on BT Sport 1)

Wednesday 30 January (7.45pm unless stated)

• AFC Bournemouth vs. Chelsea
• Southampton vs. Crystal Palace
• Liverpool vs. Leicester City (8pm, live on BT Sport 1)
• Tottenham Hotspur vs. Watford (8pm)

Saturday 2 February (3pm unless stated)

• Tottenham Hotspur vs. Newcastle United (12.30pm, live on Sky Sports)
• Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Watford
• Burnley vs. Southampton
• Chelsea vs. Huddersfield Town
• Crystal Palace vs. Fulham
• Everton vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
• Cardiff City vs. AFC Bournemouth (5.30pm, live on BT Sport 1)

Sunday 3 February

• Leicester City vs. Manchester United (2.05pm, live on Sky Sports)
• Manchester City vs. Arsenal (4.30pm, live on Sky Sports)

Monday 4 February

• West Ham United vs. Liverpool (8pm, live on Sky Sports)