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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Daniel Murphy

Pep Guardiola lays down challenge to Man City stars ahead of Chelsea fixture

Pep Guardiola has challenged his players to earn their place in the team for the Champions League final.

Manchester City take on the team they will meet in Istanbul, Chelsea, in the Premier League on Saturday and a win will see the Blues crowned as champions for a fifth time.

Guardiola had made a massive nine changes to his starting XI for the match, with only goalkeeper Ederson and defender Ruben Dias keeping their places from the victory over Paris Saint-Germain.

Having named such a rotated side, Guardiola has challenged his players to impress him and earn a spot his team for the final on May 29.

"Today is the day to win the Premier League against one of the strongest sides in Europe right now, by far, and contender for the final of the Champions League," he told Sky Sports.

"I trust all of them we have to arrive all together for the last three games just in case we need it.

"They have to prove it, like the guys who played in the Champions League had to prove it to give me headaches, to make me doubt the selection against Newcastle, Brighton, Everton but especially, just in case we win the Premier League in the next fixtures, they need to give me headaches for the Champions League final."

Ahead of the match Guardiola was seen deep in conversation with Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, and the City manager joked that his opposite number had clued him on his plans for the final.

"Yeah he gave me the tactics for the final of the Champions League, now I know it, everything," he added.

"No we have a long relationship, when I was at Munich he was at Dortmund and Mainz, good guy."

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