Pep Guardiola refused to confirm reports he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season after a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth saw them miss out on the Premier League title as Arsenal were crowned champions.
Widespread reports emerged on Monday that Guardiola’s 10-year tenure at the Etihad Stadium will draw to a close after Sunday’s game with Aston Villa, with Enzo Maresca said to have a verbal agreement with City to take over as his replacement.
The subject of Guardiola’s future dominated the build-up to City’s game at Bournemouth, where they needed to claim all three points to keep the title race alive after Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Burnley on Monday.
Instead, City produced a performance well below the standards Guardiola has set during his decade in charge.
Junior Kroupi gave Bournemouth the lead with a stunning 39th-minute opener, and City were surprisingly blunt in their efforts to produce a response.
A reply finally arrived in stoppage time as Erling Haaland crashed home a leveller, but it was too little, too late as Arsenal claimed a first title since the 2003-04 ‘Invincibles’ season.
Guardiola dismisses questions about exit
Guardiola was unsurprisingly quizzed on reports of his departure after the game, and he predictably batted away the opportunity to confirm his exit.
He told Sky Sports: “I could say that I have one more year of contract, and with the conversations I’ve had for many, many years, always from my experience when you announce – whatever you announce – during the competition is a bad, bad result.
“And like you understand, the first person I have to talk to is my chairman [Khaldoon Al Mubarak], because we both decided when we finish the season we will sit and we will talk. And it’s as simple as that, and after we will take the decision
“I have one more year of contract. I will not tell you [a decision] here because I have to talk with my chairman, with my players, with my staff because when we play for the FA Cup, qualification for the Champions League, the Premier League it’s just one thing in my mind and focus: Try to bring the team to the highest point. And it’s what we have done.”
City looked to have control of the title race last month when they beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium, with their subsequent 1-0 win at Burnley sending them top on goals scored.
But a 3-3 draw at Everton on May 4 handed the initiative back to Arsenal, and City’s inability to beat Bournemouth ensured Guardiola’s former assistant Mikel Arteta will lift his second major trophy as Gunners boss.
Paying tribute to Arsenal, Guardiola said: “On behalf of all at Manchester Citt and my team, congratulations Arsenal, Mikel [Arteta], his staff, backroom staff, all the players, fans for this Premier League – they deserve it!”
While Guardiola may not be in charge next season, he vowed that City will be back to take the fight to Arsenal as they bid to avoid a third straight season without a league title.
“Next season, we will be back, and we will try to bring the team in that sense; competing until the end in competitions,” Guardiola told his post-match press conference. “And sometimes you win, sometimes you lose because the opponents are really good, really tough. And this is what we have to try again.”
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