LONDON • Maurizio Sarri has dismissed suggestions Chelsea are still in the title race, claiming this season would be a straight "fight between Liverpool and Manchester City".
While City manager Pep Guardiola has refused to rule the Blues out of contention, the Chelsea boss feels his fourth-placed team, who trail the front runners by 12 points, can only aim "for the top four this season, (and) no more".
At his pre-match press conference ahead of their Premier League clash with the league leaders at the Etihad tomorrow, he said: "Guardiola is in the third season in the Premier League. We have to try to reduce the gap.
"At the moment, City are the best team in Europe. We need to defend very well and to be very fast when we recover the ball.
"They are able to press really very well. If we do it, we can find spaces. But it's very difficult."
The Italian added his players were "lucky" to beat City in December when they ended the champions' 21-match unbeaten run with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
Playing Guardiola's men away remains one of the toughest tasks in English football and Sarri's preparations were not helped by Eden Hazard's midweek admission he had made a decision on his future, with his Chelsea contract expiring in June 2020 and amid repeated links with a move to Real Madrid.
Asked about the speculation, which has continued to swirl over a potential move to the European champions, the 60-year-old said he wanted the Belgium forward to be "happy" wherever his future lies.
He added: "I speak every day with Eden, but I speak with Eden about his position on the pitch.
"I will be really very happy with him if he wants to stay because in my opinion, he's the best in Europe.
"But it's up to him. I want to see him happy. And so, he has to decide."
With Liverpool holding a game in hand, Guardiola is well aware any slip-up at home could hand the initiative back to Jurgen Klopp's men and he urged his players to treat the game like a "final for us".
WANDERLUST
I didn't know it. What? I'll have to install Instagram on my account. He said he was going to Paris, but Hong Kong is far away. It will definitely not be okay if he is in Hong Kong.
PEP GUARDIOLA, responding to a reporter's query on left-back Benjamin Mendy's Instagram story tagging him in Hong Kong.
The 48-year-old told reporters: "We have to play in that way. I have a lot of respect (for Chelsea).
"Everyone must work and create something. When I saw Chelsea in pre-season in (the) Charity Shield, they were already there.
"The season from Chelsea has been exceptional, the Premier League is there, they (still) have a chance to be champions, a lot of games to play and the (League) cup is there as well.
"I see how they play and recognise what they want to do."
Guardiola also backed Argentina striker Sergio Aguero, who is just one hat-trick behind Alan Shearer's league record of 11 after his treble against Arsenal last weekend, to keep "appearing in the key moments" as "important games belong to big players".
He also revealed captain Vincent Kompany and fellow defender Benjamin Mendy would not be fit for the encounter before expressing his shock that the latter was supposedly in Hong Kong, having tagged himself at the city's airport on his Instagram account.
The Spaniard added: "I didn't know it. What? I'll have to install Instagram on my account.
"He said he was going to Paris, but Hong Kong is far away. It will definitely not be okay if he is in Hong Kong."
The Frenchman yesterday clarified on Twitter it was a joke, tweeting: "It was just joking with my Uber driver. I don't want no problems with Pep."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
SEE Reliance on Wizard can be Blues' hazard
MANCHESTER CITY V CHELSEA
Singtel TV Ch102 & StarHub Ch227, tomorrow, 11.55pm
Football: Sacked Puel says it was an 'honour' to manage Leicester and work for late owner Vichai Claude Puel's 16-month reign came to an end after the 4-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace on Feb 23
Sacked Puel says an 'honour' to manage Leicester
Eriksen demands strong finish - theworldnews.net
Football: Manchester City must execute game plan to
Leicester Welcome Rodgers With Win, Newcastle End Burnley Run. League round of 32 second leg football match between Valencia CF and Celtic at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia on February 21
Leicester welcome Rodgers with win, Newcastle end Burnley run
A recently uncovered piece of sophisticated malware targeting Linux provides attackers with remote control of the infected systems, Intezer's security researchers have discovered. Called HiddenWasp, the threat is active and enjoys zero-detection rate in all major anti-virus systems, the
The Kemba Walker Free-Agency Paradox | Bleacher Report
Soccer Extras: Late Ronaldo goal foils Torino May 04, 2019 10:08 IST Cristiano Ronaldo headed a late equaliser to deny Torino their first win away to neighbours Juventus for 24 years as the two
Late Ronaldo goal foils Torino - uk.sports.yahoo.com
England soccer captain Harry Kane received the MBE award on Thursday for services to football after leading the national team to the World Cup semi-final in Russia last Summer. Prince William, the
England soccer captain Kane honoured at Buckingham Palace
2019 Asian Cup: Tsukasa Shiotani fires Japan past Uzbeks; Qatar downs Saudis Tsukasa Shiotani (center) ensured Japan finished with a perfect nine points at the top of Group F as they beat Uzbekistan 2-1, despite changing 10 players
ZAGREB, March 21 (Reuters) - Croatia were forced to dig deep as they came from behind to beat unfancied Azerbaijan 2-1 at home in their opening Euro 2020 Group E qualifier after forward Andrej Kramaric scored a 79th winner on Thursday. In the group's other fixture, Slovakia eased to a 2-0 home win
Football: Kramaric nets late winner as Croatia beat
Willian eager to stay at Chelsea despite exit rumours Premier League / 13 January 2019, 12:40pm / Chelsea's Willian has said he is staying at the club amid speculation he may leave.
Willian eager to stay at Chelsea despite exit rumours
A small village in Argentina on Saturday bid farewell to a favorite son, the soccer striker Emiliano Sala, who died along with his pilot last month when his small plane crashed in the English Channel.Friends, family and supporters gathered early Saturday in the village of Progreso, in the country's northeast, for a wake at Mr. Sala's soccer boyhood club, San Martín de Progreso, where his body
Emiliano Sala's Grieving Argentine Hometown Bids Farewell
Queiroz livid despite rout. Print Email Iran coach Carlos Queiroz blasted his critics after his side crushed Yemen 5-0 on Monday to fire an ominous warning to
Carlos Queiroz - Wikipedia
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar