Pep Guardiola says Man City coming second in Premier League is better than winning domestic cups
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Friday 10 July 2020 23:03, UK
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he prizes finishing second in the Premier League over winning the FA Cup or Carabao Cup.
With Liverpool having already been confirmed as league champions and despite City having secured the Carabao Cup and remaining in contention for the FA Cup, Guardiola's domestic target is now finishing second to Jurgen Klopp's side.
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"This organisation wants to win titles, so of course this is not the perfect satisfaction but it's recognition that our opposition was incredible in this competition and we were not on that level," Guardiola said ahead of Saturday's trip to Brighton - live on Sky Sports.
"We cannot deny that the second [place] target is better than the FA Cup winner, the Carabao Cup winners, or the others and qualification for the Champions League, which all the other clubs are fighting for.
"We were not the best, another team was, but we were better than the other 18 teams.
"This is the target to finish this season."
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One of the key features of the Premier League since the restart has been the extra substitutes available to managers, with five players allowed to come on, with nine starting on the bench in total.
The temporary move was designed to assist teams playing a large number of games in a shorter period of time than normal in order to complete the season.
It could yet remain as a fixture for the 2020/21 campaign, however, and Guardiola is a fan of such a move.
"It has helped all the teams because all the clubs have had a lack of preparation, just two or three weeks, which is not much to play every two or three days," he added.
"In the last 20, 30 minutes [of matches], when you have a lack of preparation, you suffer and that [extra subs] helps to maintain players' fitness.
"Maybe for next year if it happens, it will be good. You can travel with not just 18 players [including] on the bench, but 20, as happened this season.
"It would be good for the health and mood of the team. Everybody feels involved and part of the team, and you can make more rotations, so it will be good."
The Spaniard is out of contract at the Etihad next year, although he has suggested in the past he is happy to stay at City, something he has again indicated.
"I like to be here. I enjoy every single day, even in this season where we had to struggle hard to get results in the Premier League," he said.
"I feel as though the players want to fight and still have the desire to win in this last part of the season and we will see for next season."
