Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is furious with Premier League authorities after they fixed his side match against Cardiff
The match against Cardiff was supposed to be played on the weekend of the FA cup but was brought forward because of City’s involvement in the Semi-Finals of the oldest cup competition in the world.
The Blues play Cardiff on Wednesday, April 3 ahead of their trip to Wembley on Saturday, April 6. And the Mirror claim that Guardiola has lamented the switch around that has further contributed to an already hectic April schedule.
City are chasing an unprecedented quadruple of trophies this season, with the Carabao Cup already in their possession and a two-legged tie against Tottenham in the Champions League quarter-final awaiting them.
The Blues are two points adrift of Premier League-leaders Liverpool but hold a game in hand over Jurgen Klopp’s side. City have eight fixtures to contend with in April already and, should they beat Spurs in Europe, will face either Ajax or Juventus in the semi-finals.
The first leg of that stage of the competition could take place on April 30 to take the Blues’ tally to nine games in 30 days. Guardiola is sweating on the fitness of Aymeric Laporte and Fernandinho for the season’s run-in, and said after the win at Swansea that the players who are not on international duty over the next ten days will be kept sharp at the City Football Academy.
“They have to train, they will have a programme to train every day a little bit,” he said. “And after you have one week to prepare for Fulham and the next games. “So now Cardiff midweek, before the Tottenham first leg we have semi finals in Wembley so it’s crazy, the fixtures we have in April, that is why we need everybody.
“The players who play incredible they have to sustain that level and the players who need to increase they have to improve because we need it. “Everyone is going to play especially John [Stones], Kevin [De Bruyne] and Benjamin [Mendy], and all the players come back because we need everyone.”
Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane says the rivalry between Manchester City and Liverpool is put to one side on international duty as the Premier League title race reaches its conclusion. Pep Guardiola is looking to steer City to a maiden defence of the league crown in a bid for an unprecedented quadruple of trophies this season. The Blues already have the Carabao Cup in their possession and face a Champions League quarter-final against Tottenham after their FA Cup semi-final date with Brighton.
Liverpool have not won the league since 1990 and are in their best position to break the duck since City pipped them to the title in 2014. But Kane says the focus is firmly on the task at hand in the England dressing room ahead of the Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Montenegro.
“The great thing about this team is we have a bit of fun and a laugh and a joke, but we know when we are here it is all about England,” the Tottenham forward said. “We put that to one side and, even with Liverpool and City boys, when we are here, it is 100 per cent England. That has been part of our success. “You hear things in the past, of people sitting on different tables and teams being divided, and you cannot have that. You need to be 100 per cent together.
“Since I have been here it has been good. Hendo [Jordan Henderson, of Liverpool] and Raheem [Sterling, of City] have known each other for a long time and they are good mates. “They want to beat each other but they won’t let that get in the way of what is more important this week.”