Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola not motivated by prospect of winning a treble

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola insists he is not motivated by the prospect of winning a treble.

City are chasing silverware on three fronts this term but, despite winning eight of them in his six years at the club, Guardiola says it is not the trophies that drive him on.

“It doesn’t motivate me, absolutely zero, lower than zero,” said Guardiola, whose side lead the Premier League and are through to the last eight of both the Champions League and FA Cup.

“These are fairy tales. The reality is tough. Sport at a high level is so difficult.”

Guardiola is instead focusing on winning individual games and the next of them is Monday’s league trip to Crystal Palace.

With second-placed Liverpool, who trail by six points, having a game in hand and visiting the Etihad Stadium next month, the title race is tight.

Guardiola feels there is little margin for error in any game remaining this term and will treat them all as cup finals.

“Selhurst Park is always a difficult place to go,” the Spaniard said. “It is a final for us and we know it.

“Hopefully we can prepare well to arrive on Monday in good shape to face the opponent.

“Always in my mind when we start to play the last 10 games of the Premier League every game is a final. When you have to play 55 games it is not a final but when you have 10 games left it is a final.”

Palace beat City 2-0 when they met in Manchester in October and Guardiola anticipates another tricky encounter.

He said: “The team we faced was really good and seeing the run Crystal Palace are having right now – just one loss in the last eight games in all competitions, the physicality they have, the organisation, the quality up front, especially with (Wilfried) Zaha and when they defend deep it’s so difficult to break down, good counter-attack – they are always difficult for us.”