Pep Guardiola labeled four Premier League teams as ‘exceptional’ and shared a crucial injury update on Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
City has faced a challenging period, going winless in their last four top-flight matches, resulting in a drop to fourth place in the table.
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However, Guardiola downplayed City’s challenges, attributing them to the high quality of the opponents they encountered during that timeframe.
‘We played top, top, top teams,’ Guardiola said on Friday ahead of the trip to Luton Town.
‘Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Aston Villa right now are exceptional teams.
‘It is what it is. It’s not the first time we have been in this position. In every season, we have had periods where we do not get results.
‘Do you know how much we struggled last season? We were eight or nine points behind Arsenal, with all the injuries we had.’
Meanwhile, Guardiola has given an update on the sidelined City star, De Bruyne, who has been unavailable since their initial top-flight match of the season against Burnley.
‘I think he has started to run on the pitch but hasn’t trained with us once,’ Guardiola added.
‘The FIFA Club World Cup is in two or three weeks. I don’t know. Maybe it’s a bit early but I don’t know (at this point).
‘Kevin is so important. But unfortunately, he’s had a tough injury for three or four months.
‘Don’t put pressure on him, when he’s back we’ll have open arms for him.’
De Bruyne has made 358 appearances for Man City to date, providing 96 goals and 153 assists.
