By Daily Sports on March 1, 2020

Manchester City go into Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Aston Villa at Wembley “starving” for silverware, says manager Pep Guardiola.

City are aiming for a third successive League Cup triumph, having won the competition the previous two years.

“The mentality is the same, to be starving and hungry to win another one,” said Guardiola.

“There are no words to express my gratitude to these players. It is so difficult to maintain that hunger.”

Although Manchester City are 22 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League table, Guardiola’s side are still on course for a cup treble this campaign.

After Sunday’s showpiece, which kicks off at 16:30 GMT, they travel to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday, then face Real Madrid in the return leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on 17 March.

“Obviously I would prefer to win the Premier League; the Carabao Cup is not the Premier League – sorry Carabao Cup! But at the same time it is good,” said Guardiola.

“With the Carabao Cup we say ‘OK we have won it twice’, all the big Premier League teams are there and then you are in the final again.

“When you are there, wow, it is so difficult. Now you realise it is more difficult than before. Every time it looks more and more difficult and that is the feeling I have right now.”

City have had limited time to prepare for the game at Wembley following their late fightback against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

But Guardiola assured fans the club will not be taking the threat of Aston Villa lightly.

“You can never think you are going to win,” Guardiola added. “That’s a lack of respect for our opponent.

“Our mentally tough game was against Madrid in the week, so we know we are going to suffer with that for the next few days, which is normal.

“You have to prepare for weeks for games like that, so there is a drop of adrenaline afterwards but now we'll start to prepare for the final to try to win it.

“Villa are organised, they have a keeper with incredible experience in Pepe Reina, talent and fast players up front, physicality in midfield, good headers as centre-defenders.”

•PHOTO: Man City players’ jersey

Source Daily Sports

Posted March 1, 2020

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