‘That Is All Bull----’—Pep Guardiola Fires Man City Warning to Arsenal

With 18 games played, Man City trail leaders Arsenal by just two points.

Pep Guardiola has Man City moving hard. / James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Pep Guardiola has warned Premier League leaders Arsenal that Manchester City are over the problems that held them back last season, insisting the issue was a lack of “energy” and any other attempted explanation blaming his tactics is “bull----.”

After making history in 2023–24 by becoming the first team in English football history to win four consecutive top-flight titles, City fell apart during their pursuit of a fifth last season.

Winning just a single Premier League game in a run of nine between Nov. 2–Dec. 26, including six defeats, killed their title challenge and City eventually finished 13 points behind champions Liverpool. The dream of an unprecedented “five-peat” was over.

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This season, as Arsenal look to finally get over the line following three successive runners-up finishes and claim a first title in 22 years, City have hit their stride once more and sit only two points adrift. Guardiola’s team have won their last six Premier League games—eight in a row across all competitions—and claimed 33 points from the last 39 available.

It’s super fine margins because, since City drew 1–1 with Arsenal in September, the Gunners have dropped just a single point more (seven) over the same period.

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Guardiola: ’We Lost Energy Last Season’

Man City collapsed spectacularly in 2024–25. / Joe Prior/Visionhaus/Getty Images

Guardiola isn’t satisfied with any other explanation for Manchester City’s fall and resurgence: it starts and ends with the energy levels in the squad.

“Energy, energy, energy,” he said this week. “Me first,” he added, including himself equally as accountable for that shortfall.

“We lost it last season. We started to train better, to compete better [since then]. After that we can talk about three at the back, four at the back, wingers or fullbacks—that is all bull----. We needed to get energy back, and then you have a good environment.”

His belief is that if the energy is off or missing, any tactics are completely irrelevant.

“Something was in the fog in Manchester, surrounding our training centre,” Pep continued. “We missed something. It is not switching [energy] on or off. Managers are not magicians, clicking fingers and everything is clear. Sometimes you need time. Winning helps to advance this process.”

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Man City Resurgence a Joint Effort

Guardiola is grateful to his staff for their input. / Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Guardiola isn’t taking individual credit for Manchester City finding form and consistency again this season. He noted that “a lot of dinners” with everyone and “a lot of talks” were key, and plenty of different people were involved, including coaches Pep Lijnders and James French, personal adviser and confidant Manuel Estiarte as well as current and past sporting directors Hugo Viana and Txiki Begiristain.

“We turned around and said something changed. Something [you can feel],” Guardiola teased.

“It doesn’t mean you are going to win but that you are able to recognise the team. Now it is eight victories in a row [in all competitions]. It is not easy but we compete in the way we do. We have to improve, absolutely, but this mindset is better.”

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