Pep Guardiola says talk of a Manchester City quadruple this season is 'fantasy'
Friday 25 January 2019 14:28, UK
Pep Guardiola has dismissed the prospect of Manchester City going for an unprecedented quadruple, describing it as a 'fantasy'.
The Premier League champions are already through to next month's Carabao Cup final, and are four points behind Liverpool in the defence of their title.
This weekend they will look to progress in the FA Cup at home to Burnley, while there is a Champions League last-16 tie against German side Schalke to look forward to as well.
While success on multiple fronts is clearly the aim, Guardiola is focused only on short-term targets and said: "We are able to try to win tomorrow, that's all I can assure. The other is fantasy."
The former Barcelona manager will bring his team up against a Burnley side which won just three of its first 20 domestic matches this season.
Their more recent run of five games without defeat, a sequence which includes four more victories, is of more interest to Guardiola.
While Sean Dyche's team is in a relegation fight and getting out of it is a priority, Guardiola does not see that as a reason to doubt their intentions when the sides meet.
He added: "When I hear that the FA Cup is not top of Burnley's agenda, does it mean 11 guys are going to play at the Etihad Stadium and don't want to win?
"Don't they want to win? I cannot believe it. They are going to try to play. What they did last season in finishing seventh in the league is an incredible achievement for them.
"After maybe not starting well, they have won five or six games in a row. I have a lot of respect for what they have done and what they try to do.
"We always try to play a strong team. It is the FA Cup against a Premier League side like Burnley so we are going to play with the best team we believe can win the game.
"Today, in the big leagues, if you lose points you are not going to win the Premier League, the FA Cup, the big competitions. You have to win every day if you want a chance to the end to win titles."
