Manchester City ‘wary’ of title plans after Klopp comments

Matt Stead
Liverpool players celebrate

Manchester City are still trying to finalise plans as to how they will celebrate their trophy success this season.

Pep Guardiola’s side won a fourth straight Carabao Cup by beating Tottenham in last month’s Wembley showpiece, while they are top of the Premier League table and in a Champions League final.

They failed to secure the Premier League at the weekend after losing to Chelsea, with Manchester United coming from behind to beat Aston Villa and keep their hopes mathematically alive.

But Manchester City need three points from their final three games to confirm their seventh league championship.

Chelsea await in the Champions League final on May 29 and the club is considering ways of commemorating their achievements this season in a safe and socially distanced manner.

The Daily Mail say they ‘are contemplating hosting a celebration event at the Etihad Stadium’ as an alternative to the typical open-top bus tour.

Manchester City ‘remain cautious for two reasons’, however: they ‘do not wish to take anything for granted’ despite holding such a lead over their closest rivals; and ‘they are also wary of making commitments that they cannot fulfil’.

The case of Liverpool last season is cited as a scenario Manchester City are keen to avoid. Jurgen Klopp promised supporters an official celebration when they won their first title in 30 years but the circumstances of a global pandemic have prevented that from coming to pass.

“We should all celebrate,” he said after a win over Chelsea crowned them champions.

“Drink what you want but you have you to prepare for a party when this bullsh*t virus is gone. Then we will have a party all together. Make sure you are ready then.”

Liverpool staged their own celebrations after that game but no supporters were present in the stadium due to restrictions – the club had to condemn scenes outside – and by the time fans can return they will no longer be title holders.

There is now ‘a view that celebrating winning a trophy which is no longer yours is not a good look,’ but their successors in Manchester City are unsure of what form their own revelry will take.

Pep Guardiola reacts