“I’d prefer” – Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City are not where he wants to be

Pep Guardiola has insisted his Manchester City side remain away from his preferred position in the Premier League, speaking during his latest media duties.

Despite City continuing to compete across multiple fronts and remaining firmly in the domestic title conversation, Guardiola has repeatedly stressed performance levels and league position must still improve if his side are to meet the standards he has set.

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The comments follow a run of positive results that have steadied City’s campaign after earlier inconsistencies, with progress in the Champions League and Carabao Cup helping to restore momentum.

However, as has been a recurring theme in recent press conferences, Pep Guardiola has remained measured rather than celebratory around his side’s victories.

Attention now turns to a demanding festive fixture away at Nottingham Forest – a venue Guardiola has often described as one of the more difficult assignments in the division. The City boss also used the occasion to acknowledge the wider context surrounding the match, including events affecting the Forest community.

Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s next Premier League clash on Saturday afternoon, Guardiola admitted his side remain away from their desired position in the English top-flight.

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“Well, the best place to be is at the top and still we’re not there. I’d prefer to be ten points clear of everyone, but it is what it is,” Guardiola admitted.

“Arsenal’s doing really well but we’re there, we’re still end of December, and the Champions League we’re up there, Premier League we’re there, semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup soon, some important players coming back – step by step, game by game.”

The Manchester City boss continued, “We’re travelling to one of the toughest places, and Forest away has always been tough, especially in this period and with an important person in the history and legacy like Mr. Robertson who unfortunately passed away.”

Offering his own words to the City Ground club and all those associated, Guardiola said, “On behalf of Manchester City, I wanted to give big condolences to Forest especially, his family.

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“I know how important he was, scoring in the European Cup, Champions League in that time. It’ll be nice tomorrow to take a tribute on behalf of Man City for an important player for that club.”

Pep Guardiola’s remarks align closely with recent assessments in which he has underlined that Manchester City are still “away” from being a fully-fledged title-winning side, particularly in terms of consistency and control in possession.

While results have improved, the manager has been clear margins must be sharpened, and the visit to Nottingham Forest will serve as another benchmark for City’s progress, especially given the physical intensity often associated with matches at the City Ground.

With several key players edging closer to full fitness and competition across tournaments intensifying, Pep Guardiola will be eager to see tangible signs of evolution as the Premier League calendar also turns towards the new year.

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For now, Manchester City remain well placed but not yet where their manager wants them. Whether Guardiola’s side can turn proximity into pole position may well be defined by performances in fixtures such as this.