Manchester City’s players were once told exactly what would happen in a game against West Ham by manager Pep Guardiola, two days before it then came true.
The Catalan coach is held in the highest regard by players and fellow managers across the globe for his success with all of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and particularly over the last eight full seasons with Manchester City.
Having now won everything there is available to win within the English game and multiple times, as well as the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup, there is very little left to achieve for Pep Guardiola and his team.
However, his constant striving for ultimate footballing perfection leaves him ahead of the competition most seasons, and his intelligence within the game means he almost can predict what will happen before his players step out onto the pitch to compete.
Speaking during the latest episode of BBC Sounds’ ‘My Mate’s A Footballer’ podcast, Kalvin Phillips revealed the moment Pep Guardiola told his Manchester City players exactly how a meeting away to West Ham in 2022 would play out.
“The first game we played, West Ham away (in August 2022), he literally told the team in a meeting, probably two days before how the game was going to play out,” Phillips said of Guardiola.
He continued, “[Pep Guardiola] said: ‘West Ham are going to start well. They’re going to put us under pressure and then we’re going to have a little bit of time, we’re going to get opportunities to get the ball to Kevin (De Bruyne), and then if Kevin plays it behind for Erling and then we’re more than likely going to score’.
“He just mentioned different ways that we could attack and then how they’re going to press us and then you’d seen it happen in real life. And I was just sat there like, ‘this is ridiculous’. I couldn’t believe it.
“At one point I was gobsmacked, I just worked it out and I could see exactly what he was saying happening on the pitch.”
Pep Guardiola has been handed with a fresh challenge this season however, with some believing that it could be the ultimate test for him and his footballing philosophies, with Rodri missing the remainder of the campaign with a serious knee injury.
Manchester City take on Fulham in their next Premier League outing in the final contest before the October international break, with Pep Guardiola and his players hoping to return to winning ways following consecutive draws against Arsenal and Newcastle.
