Guardiola’s Bold Prediction: Why This Year’s Premier League Might Be Won on Fewer Points
Manchester City’s legendary tactician, Pep Guardiola, knows a thing or two about claiming Premier League titles. As City goes for an unprecedented fifth consecutive league crown, Guardiola has a surprising prediction up his sleeve – the trophy might be won on fewer points this season. With a tight race shaping up against Liverpool and Arsenal, and the relentless match schedule pushing players to their limits, Guardiola senses a shift in the Premier League’s usual standards.
After an unbeaten start to the 2024/25 season, City’s shock defeat to Bournemouth raised a few eyebrows. But Guardiola isn’t rattled. The champions sit second, just two points adrift of Liverpool, with Arsenal trailing a further five. Despite having often pushed past the 90-point threshold to secure their recent titles, Guardiola believes this season’s demands may make that total unnecessary.
When asked if the points required to win might drop this year, he was emphatic: “Of course, absolutely. If we’d had five more days to prepare and recover [for Bournemouth], maybe we would have been better. Or maybe not, who knows,” he mused. “I talked about the calendar for the season when we were winning, not just now because we lost a game. The reality is they won, we congratulate them.”
Indeed, City’s schedule has intensified significantly. Alongside the Premier League and Champions League, UEFA’s expanded group stage means two extra European games. And looming next summer is the revamped FIFA Club World Cup, adding more pressure on a squad already battling injuries. Guardiola’s key players, including Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, and Rodri, have all faced time on the sidelines. Rodri even hinted at a potential strike among players to highlight the strain.
Acknowledging the challenges, Guardiola explained, “It’s the reality we are living now. In the previous seasons, we played a lot of games, but maybe we will go to the World Cup and arrive in the last stages of that competition; we’re going to play almost 70 games. It’s like NBA, but they have four months holiday and we have three weeks.”
He pointed out that the jam-packed schedule has led to injuries City hasn’t seen in previous years. “You have injuries for a long time like didn’t happen before. It’s normal, it’s going to happen. We have to handle it.”
Guardiola also brushed off any suggestion that the added intensity has personally taken a toll. “I don’t play, I don’t run. I’m sitting,” he said, laughing off the idea. “We won a lot, and people expect we’re going to win all the time. It’s the first game we’ve lost in the Premier League in 2024. We’re in November. It’s unbelievable.”
Reflecting on the defeat, he remained pragmatic: “We’ll learn from this, and we’ll improve. I’m fine. I still have energy. I wanted to win [on Saturday]. Congratulations to Bournemouth is all I can say.”
So, who’s your pick to lift the trophy? Will City’s experience in high-stakes seasons win out, or could Liverpool or Arsenal slip past in this year’s unpredictable race?
