Pep Guardiola warns EPL rivals Manchester City will get better

Pep Guardiola has warned Manchester City’s Premier League rivals that the champions are still well below their peak.

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero shoots to score against Chelsea in the FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium. Picture: AFP

Pep Guardiola has warned Manchester City’s Premier League rivals that the champions are still well below their peak despite beating Chelsea 2-0 in the Community Shield.

Guardiola’s team wrapped up their pre-season preparations by sweeping aside Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday night (AEST).

Sergio Aguero’s early opener and a second-half strike from the Argentina forward — goals that took his career haul for City to 201 — ensured the title favourites picked up where they left off in last season’s campaign.

But ominously for their biggest rivals Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United — Guardiola revealed his players are still well short of full fitness after only a handful of training sessions following the World Cup.

“We are satisfied, but still we are far away from the (best) physical condition. The players are in bad, bad conditions,” Guardiola said. “We didn’t train a lot this week. We wanted to arrive fresh in this heat. It’s complicated for all of them but they are so competitive. It’s not easy to play after such a short time. My hat’s off to them.

“We have seven days to train this week and hopefully we can increase that level. Now we focus on Arsenal. The training? Two sessions a day.”

Whatever their fitness issues, City looked slick enough in the sweltering north London sunshine as they ran Chelsea ragged.

Guardiola’s men could have won by five and, ahead of their Premier League opener at Arsenal on Sunday, the Spaniard plans to further strengthen his already formidable squad.

Having signed Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez from Leicester, Guardiola is on the hunt for a defensive midfielder.

AFP