Manchester City are facing the Premier League title race with no room for error. The 3-3 draw at Goodison Park against Everton once again left Pep Guardiola’s side without control over their own destiny in the domestic championship. After a sensational April, where the Blues secured a perfect run of victories that allowed them to close the gap on Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, the Citizens now need to row against the current to stay alive in the title fight.
Guardiola spoke to the media on Friday during his pre-match press conference ahead of Premier League Matchday 36, where City will host Brentford at the Etihad Stadium (17:30 local time). The Sky Blues currently sit second with 71 points, five behind the Gunners, though they still have their postponed match against Crystal Palace from Matchday 31 to play.
The Catalan coach analyzed the team’s current form and provided several key updates on the physical condition of some crucial players. The main names mentioned were Rodri Hernández, Joško Gvardiol, and Rúben Dias—three fundamental pieces for Guardiola whose progress could define the season’s outcome.
Rodri’s situation continues to attract the most attention within the City camp. The Spanish midfielder has not played since the victory over Arsenal last month, and Guardiola admitted he is still unsure whether he will return this weekend. “We’ll see this afternoon. We’ve survived many months without him,” explained the Catalan manager, stressing that the player still does not feel fully recovered. “He’s still not 100% comfortable. We’ll wait and see when he’s ready to come back,” he added.
Guardiola was more optimistic regarding Joško Gvardiol. The Croatian center-back, sidelined since January with a broken leg, has already returned to training with the group and could reappear before the end of the season. “Gvardiol is training and feels good. Last season he was a very important player for us despite the injuries, but the body said enough,” Guardiola said. “It’s fantastic to have them back,” he added, referring to both Gvardiol and Rúben Dias, who is also close to returning.
Ahead, City face a tough opponent. Keith Andrews’ Brentford has been one of the surprises of the season, and with three matches left, they are sitting in seventh place, which grants access to the Conference League. Guardiola praised his counterpart’s work and noted the difficulty of succeeding Thomas Frank: “It’s not easy to replace him,” he stated.
Guardiola also used the press conference to publicly support Marc Guéhi after his error against Everton. “He knows he made a mistake, but aside from that, he played a fantastic match,” he commented. Additionally, he confirmed that Phil Foden’s contract renewal is progressing positively: “From what I’ve heard, the agreement is close.”
Earlier this morning, Guardiola received the Premier League Manager of the Month award for April, after winning all three matches against Chelsea, Arsenal, and Burnley. Meanwhile, Arsenal remain top of the table.
