Guardiola: United has a better squad than City beat a few months ago

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said his team will face a completely different Manchester United squad than the one they beat 6-3 last October, adding that his team must be at its best in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Guardiola will face United, led by Eric Ten Hag, not only in the first historic FA Cup final between the rivals of Manchester City, but due to City’s need for his second title this season in light of his quest to achieve the treble.

Guardiola said in a press conference today, Friday, “What Manchester (United) has been doing in the past five or six months, makes it a completely different team than the one we faced at the beginning of the season.”

“The finals are about how you are in 90 minutes, the moment you play.

“It’s not about what you did in the past or how good you were. It’s one game, so we have to be the best version of ourselves to beat them.”

City, who went unbeaten in the closing weeks of the Premier League season to win their third successive title, will face Inter Milan in the Champions League final on June 10 in Istanbul. The Champions League is the only title City has yet to win.

Guardiola said his team would be fit and energetic for Saturday’s game at Wembley. He said that Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish “trained well” in the last two training sessions, and Stefan Ortega will keep his place in goalkeeper after participating throughout the team’s career in the FA Cup.

City will be looking for a treble, something that only one other English team, Manchester United, has achieved in 1999. And there will be nothing better for Ten Hag than spoiling City’s dream.
Guardiola said kindly about the Dutch coach’s incredible job, guiding United to the League Cup title in February and finishing third in the Premier League in his first season at the club.

“I can’t say we are friends… but he represents our profession as a coach in the best possible way,” said the Spaniard.

“I think Manchester United have an exceptional coach for many years to come.”

City will seek to win the FA Cup for the seventh time, while United will seek to obtain it for the 13th time.