Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has likened his team’s final Premier League match of the season to serving for Wimbledon. After a 2-0 victory over Tottenham on Tuesday night, City are now two points clear of Arsenal and in control of their own destiny. They will clinch a record fourth consecutive league title if they defeat West Ham at home on the final day of the season this Sunday (16:00 BST).
Guardiola drew a parallel to tennis, stating, “The tennis players say ‘the serve to win Wimbledon’, the last game, is the most difficult one.” He emphasized the pressure and significance of this final match, adding, “We know what we’re playing for. The tension is there.”
City have a strong track record when the title race goes down to the wire, having been involved in the final day title deciders nine times in the Premier League era, winning each of the last four occasions. According to analysts Opta, Guardiola’s side have an 84% chance of lifting the trophy, and historically, no team that has started the final day in second place has ended it as champions.
Guardiola called for fan support, saying, “Everyone come to the stadium and make noise. We’ll have one day off, two days to prepare, and then we will do our best.”
Man City’s Final Day Heroics:
- Manchester City 3-2 Queens Park Rangers (2011-12)
- Manchester City 2-0 West Ham (2013-14)
- Brighton 1-4 Manchester City (2018-19)
- Manchester City 3-2 Aston Villa (2021-22)
Injury Updates: During the match against Tottenham, goalkeeper Ederson and star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne both suffered injuries and were substituted. Ederson had an issue with his eye, which impaired his vision, prompting Guardiola to make a change. Though visibly frustrated, his replacement, Stefan Ortega, performed admirably, making a crucial save against Spurs’ Son Heung-min.
De Bruyne picked up an ankle injury, but Guardiola did not provide further details on the extent of his condition.
