'Not About Winning Or Not Winning Trophies'! Pep Guardiola Focussed On How Manchester City 'Play Better'

Last Updated:January 12, 2026, 19:39 IST

Pep Guardiola prioritises Manchester City’s growth over trophies as they face Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final, stressing improvement after last season’s major title miss.

Pep Guardiola. (Picture credit: AP)

Pep Guardiola has expressed that he prioritises the development of Manchester City over winning trophies as he prepares his team for the first leg of their League Cup semi-final against Newcastle on Tuesday.

Last season, City failed to secure a major trophy for the first time in eight years, although they did win the Community Shield by beating Manchester United in a penalty shootout at the beginning of the season.

When asked at his pre-match press conference on Monday if he felt additional pressure after not securing major titles last season, Guardiola emphasised that his focus was not on winning silverware.

“It’s not about winning or not winning trophies, it’s about how the team grows up, how the team is better," the City manager said.

“Last season we didn’t deserve to win more than just one trophy, because we didn’t play good. So satisfaction to win a trophy when we are not playing good, can happen, you know, knockout stages, (you can be) lucky.

“It’s not about that. Believe me, it’s not about that. We are here to make the team play better, the satisfaction is to make a good performance for ourselves, our fans."

‘Fight For The Title’

Guardiola, who has restructured his squad following the departure of key players, stressed the importance of continuous improvement.

“That is the target, and all the time has been like that," he explained. “And after, when you are in that process, and you fight for the title, you can win it.

“But after the title, big compliments, the day after, a little bit less compliments, two days after, three days, it’s forgotten. It’s another. So it’s the journey, it’s how you improve. That is what you have to do to live our profession."

City won the League Cup for four consecutive seasons starting in 2018, using the competition as a springboard for a decade of English football dominance under Guardiola.

Last season, they were dethroned as Premier League champions by Liverpool, and currently, they are six points behind leaders Arsenal.

Chelsea will host Arsenal in the first leg of the other League Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

News sports football 'Not About Winning Or Not Winning Trophies'! Pep Guardiola Focussed On How Manchester City 'Play Better'

Read More