Serial multi-award-winning Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola graciously conceded that the Cityzens indeed do have numerous challenges to cope with as he spoke about trying to retain their Premier League dominance.<\/p>\n
No longer the usual two-horse affair with Liverpool\u00a0and City dominating, Premier League title races are now bursting with other erstwhile clubs getting actively engaged in the battle, like a feisty and most capable Arsenal squad pushing the Blues all the way last season when Liverpool somehow fell off the pace.<\/p>\n
The highly-experienced City manager has certainly been around long enough after witnessing with his own eyes the intense battles on the pitch even this early juncture, from the first third of the season, to expect more intense action with the likes of Tottenham leaping right into the fray. Amongst other clubs now fighting tooth and nail in the race, Guardiola expects Liverpool to be among the key teams challenging City\u00a0for title honors, as has been the pattern for so many seasons already.<\/p>\n
In fact, Guardiola has not even dismissed cross-town rivals Manchester United despite their dismal fall from their lofty perch of earlier decades, mentioning the possibility of the Old Trafford club entering the running later in the season. Newcastle of course is a definite possibility. Regardless of how things are shaping up this season, the City boss said he had learned to be less anxious about how everything would go after coming to understand the pace of the Premier League.<\/p>\n
“Absolutely. Arsenal will be too, I see them so solid,” he said when asked if Liverpool would be the biggest threat to City.<\/p>\n
“Spurs even, the two defeats they had lately, the feeling when I see the way they are playing and with one game a week I think they will be there. Chelsea\u00a0start to recover and have one game a week. I think the four or five contenders are there. I don’t know if Newcastle will join, maybe United will join but many things will happen.<\/p>\n
“What I learned since I arrived here, I was more anxious in the first, second, and third season in November and December but now I learned that the Premier League never ends. Even when you think it’s over, there are still 10 games to play so many things can happen.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"