Guardiola shares secret to Spanish coaching success ahead of Lopetegui meeting

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says the secret to the success of Spanish coaches is their development when it comes to the tactical side of the game.

Guardiola, who has led City to four successive Premier League titles, will go up against compatriot Julen Lopetegui when his team travel to West Ham on Saturday.

It has been a summer of success for Spain on the international stage, with La Roja winning Euro 2024 before their Under-23s won gold at the Paris Olympics.

Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Andoni Iraola form the rest of the Spanish contingent of managers in the Premier League, and Guardiola shared what he believes is the reason for coaches from his nation enjoying such success.

“The secret is [Spanish coaches] work really well from early ages on tactics, on methodologies, to understand the game,” he told Man City’s official media channels.

“So in a team sport, you need to acknowledge why things happen. Spanish coaches work really well to understand the game.

“Today, all the managers and coaches are really well prepared. That’s why the football is getting better and better.”

Guardiola added that competition is what drives him on.

“I think the competition itself ignites something in all of us. Why should it stop? I think when it stops, you should retire,” he said.

“When the competition comes, we say okay, let’s try it again. That mentality is always there.

“Managers always drink knowledge from the staff, from the players – it’s not always me to the other people. It’s a back and forth, not in just one direction.

“Just to have nice people around you is the most important thing, to have the good vibes in the team. If not it’s always conflict – conflict is the enemy that can beat you. The rest has to be a healthy, nice environment.”

London calling!

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— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 28, 2024

PLAYERS TO WATCH

West Ham – Michail Antonio

Antonio has been involved in 99 Premier League goals for West Ham (67 goals, 32 assists), and could be the first player to reach 100 for the club.

Five of these have been against Man City (three goals, two assists), with the Jamaican only having a hand in more against four clubs (Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Liverpool and Watford).

Manchester City – Erling Haaland

Haaland has scored 16 goals in 10 Premier League appearances in August, averaging a goal every 52 minutes, the best minutes-per-goal ratio by a player in a particular month in Premier League history (min. 500 minutes played).

MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY WIN

City have lost none of their 16 Premier League meetings with West Ham under Guardiola (W14 D2). It is the joint-most a manager has faced a specific opponent without ever losing in the competition’s history (Alex Ferguson vs Charlton also 16).

The champions are unbeaten in 21 Premier League games so far in 2024 (W18 D3), their longest unbeaten run from the start of a calendar year in league history. Overall, they are unbeaten in 25 Premier League games, winning the last 11 in a row.

City have scored more away goals against West Ham than they have against any other opponent in the Premier League (42). Meanwhile, their 25 goals at the London Stadium is the most an away team has scored at a specific venue in the Premier League since its opening in 2016-17.

West Ham are winless in their last 17 Premier League meetings with City (D3 L14) since a 2-1 away win in September 2015. Indeed, City have lost just one of their last 14 away league games against the Hammers (W8 D5), and are unbeaten in their last nine visits since a 2-1 loss at Upton Park in October 2014.

The Hammers have conceded at least once in each of their last 10 Premier League home games, last having a longer run without a clean sheet between April and December 2009 (12).

Only Liverpool and Nottingham Forest (37 each) have had more shots than West Ham (32) in the opening two Premier League games this season. However, only three sides (Everton, Southampton, Ipswich Town) have had fewer attempts on target than the Hammers (six).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

West Ham – 16.4%

Man City – 64%

Draw – 19.6%