Pep Guardiola says Manchester City will have to focus on the Premier League as much as they do the UEFA Champions League, if they want to defend their league title won last season.
Manchester City will take on Luton Town on Saturday afternoon at the Etihad Stadium and Pep Guardiola is expected by many to heavily rotate his side.
However, Guardiola believes every game is equally crucial if you want to find the right balance and compete for every title.
Speaking in a pre-match interview about the clash against Luton on Saturday, Manchester City’s manager played down talks of approaching the game with a less competitive squad, believing that his race to defend the league title is as significant as any Champions League game.
“We have to, we have to focus on the game. Premier League is so important. I expect the game to be very similar to what happened in the Premier League when we won 2-1 at the end and the FA Cup, so we have to be ready. You spend 11 months fighting for the title and we have to be ready. We are in a position where we can drop points,” Guardiola said.
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A win would see Manchester City sit on top of the Premier League temporarily at least until the outcomes of games for both Arsenal and Liverpool are revealed on Sunday.
The Cityzens will then face Real Madrid at the Etihad in their Champions League quarter-final return leg where they aim to capitalise on home advantage to progress to the semifinals.