Pep: Feel the pressure!

TITLE RACE IS DONE, BUT GUARDIOLA KNOWS HIS SIDE WILL

- SIMON BAJKOWSKI

PEP Guardiola wants City to feel the pressure of having to win the Champions League after completing a fifth Premier League crown in six years.

The Blues secured up their latest triumph on Saturday when Arsenal lost at Nottingham Forest, and celebrated in front of their fans and family after beating Chelsea 1-0 yesterday.

The win confirms their dominance in English football and sets up their tilt at a historic Treble, with the FA Cup final against United and Champions League final against Inter Milan to come.

Guardiola has for a long time maintained that his reign will not be defined by Europe, but in recent weeks has softened that stance to accept that City need to lift the biggest trophy in continental football to be recognised as one of the best ever.

After lifting the latest trophy, the manager said it is a conversation that has been had many times with the squad and a pressure that is necessary.

“They know it. The feeling I have is that if we win five Premier Leagues we still have the Champions League,” he said.

“We have had fun in all that period here. We cannot deny it.

“There is a part that sometimes can be unfair for the fact you have to win the Champions League to give credit or value to what you have done but you have to accept it and I think it’s good.

“For a long time, you have to win the Champions League.

“I know it will not be complete if we don’t win the Champions League. Sometimes, playing with this pressure is so nice and necessary.

“We tell each other a lot that we have to do it. But if we are not able to do it and the club continues in this way sooner or later we will do it. We have to try.”