Pep Talk: “At the end, we need these types of challenges.”

Here we go, a huge match vs title contenders and on short rest. Pep Guardiola had a little bit of everything today as he touched on injuries, short rest, NUFC and much more.

Let’s dive right in-

“At the end, we need these types of challenges.

“When we won what we won, we are the team who everyone wants to beat. We need these difficulties for many many reasons.

“Right now for the many important injuries we have, the calendar to play with short recovery, this is a challenge to prove yourself again - see if you are able to do a step forward.

“It’s never easy in sport.

“In football and in sport always there are problems, it’s how you overcome that defines if you are a good team or not.

“I never do that but we need our people more than ever, especially this season.

“We cannot be in the Etihad Stadium looking at how good because of what we have done and tomorrow we need them.

“8pm is a good time to take a beer after game. We need them from the first minute until the end, their support, because we play an extraordinary team that continue to do really well.

“They bought perfect players who are perfect for the way they play.

“The game against Aston Villa defined perfectly who they are.

“And where we don’t arrive, hopefully our people can help us.”

“It’s a Champions League team. If you are a team you qualify for the Champions League for the next season [it] is because you’re a really really good team,” he said.

“With the takeover from Saudi Arabia, in a short time they put the team together and there is a feeling they are there to stay for a long time.

“Nobody believed it last season, look what happened. They continue with Eddie Howe who created a fantastic team for many reasons - in transitions, in ball possession, in the build-up, in set pieces, everything.

“They control everything and it will be a massive test for us but we are here for that.

“If Newcastle handle the same competitions - the Champions League, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup, the Premier League - if they handle it well, they can compete.

“But it’s completely different when you play one game a week and when you play four games a week.

“But if they are able to handle it, of course they are contenders.”

“Now we have a big, big problem especially for this game but in general,” he said. (With Dias, Stones, KDB and Bernardo out)

“That is what it is. 4am time recovery, arrive here late. Today we cannot train. We don’t have time, I would love one more day.

“I accept this is the challenge. That’s why we won because we overcome those positions.”

A fantastic presser. Let’s hope for a great match vs NUFC.