Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has claimed Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was lucky to have been afforded time to get things right.
Sarri’s future at Chelsea has been heavily questioned in recent weeks following heavy defeats at the hands of Bournemouth and Man City as well as an FA Cup exit to Manchester United.
Why was Guardiola given time to succeed at Man City? Four key things to know…
- Guardiola took charge of Manchester City in 2016, replacing Manuel Pellegrini.
- The Spaniard had an underwhelming first season in charge which included a heavy 4-0 defeat to Everton in the Premier League.
- But Guardiola was given time to improve his tactics and squad, leading to Man City winning the Premier League the following season.
- And Sarri believes Guardiola was given this time partly due to his reputation, as clubs know how he works.
This comes despite Sarri leading Chelsea to the Carabao Cup final, where they will face Man City on Sunday, giving the Italian the chance to win his first ever trophy.
The biggest criticism over Sarri has been his style of play, with Sarrismo yet to really bring a positive impact at Stamford Bridge, to the growing annoyance of the club’s fans.
Guardiola had a similar difficult start to life as Man City manager in 2016, underwhelming on the pitch and having his tactics questioned in England. But Sarri feels the Spaniard was lucky to be afforded time due to his previous managerial record.
“He (Guardiola) was lucky,” he told reporters.
“I think that, if you choose Guardiola, you have to wait because the club knows very well that Guardiola needs time.
“In my job, I need the result. Nothing else.”
Guardiola’s City built from a third-placed finish in his first season to win the Premier League the following year with a record-breaking 100 points and 32 wins, in addition to the Carabao Cup.
But many believe Sarri is unlikely to be afforded that luxury, with the likes of Frank Lampard and Zinedine Zidane linked with replacing the Italian. Things have also got worse for Chelsea in recent days, with the club facing a two-window transfer ban for breaching rules in relation to young players.
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Guardiola v Sarri: Who has the better record?
Though Sarri’s future at Chelsea is currently in doubt, the Italian’s record is slightly better than Guardiola’s at this stage in his first season in charge of Man City.
Sarri has overseen 43 games so far since replacing Antonio Conte last summer, winning 28. By comparison, after 43 matches at City, Guardiola had won one fewer.
However, the Italian has lost more than his opponent, with Chelsea falling nine times compared to City’s seven. The manner of the defeats have been significant too.
Across all competitions this season, seven of Chelsea’s nine defeats have come when they have failed to score, including the past six. In that time, the Blues have been beaten by four of the Premier League’s top six including a 6-0 humiliation at the hands of Manchester City. Chelsea are also yet to score an away goal in England this year, last netting against Crystal Palace on December 30, with Malmo the only home side to concede to the Blues.
There have also been shock defeats, with Chelsea losing 4-0 to Bournemouth, 1-0 to Leicester and 2-1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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