Manchester City will host Fulham in the upcoming 7th round of the English Premier League on Saturday night at 22:00 GMT. In his pre-match press conference, City manager Pep Guardiola spoke at length about his team's injury situation, his future plans and the public pressure the club is facing due to the allegations. While Harland was substituted early in the midweek Champions League match, Guardiola said he was in good shape, while De Bruyne is out with an injury and will not be named in the Belgium national team's squad. In addition, Guardiola expressed his gratitude to Manchester City's South Stand fans for raising thousands of pounds to make a banner to retain him, but laughed and said he didn't want them to spend money on it. For his future, Guardiola still keep a low profile, do not want to talk too much.
Speaking about the match against Fulham, Guardiola said that although City has won 16 consecutive victories over their opponents in all competitions, he does not like to be asked about such streaks as he does not want to put extra pressure on the team. At the same time, he also recognized Fulham's strength, saying that the team has shown strong competitiveness since losing to Manchester United in the first round, especially in their attacking end, which has many fast and in-form players, which will bring a lot of challenges to City's backline.
In the face of criticism from the Premier League over the 115 allegations against Manchester City, Guardiola is adamant that he is part of the club and will defend its interests to the hilt. He believes the best way to do this is to win games, do his job and send a positive message to the fans. Guardiola also emphasized his trust in the club's management and staff as trustworthy partners. Finally, Guardiola once again expressed his deep affection for this club, saying that no matter what happens in the future, he will always support Manchester City.
