Pep Guardiola faced the media ahead of Manchester City's visit to Carrow Road for tomorrow's 17:30 (GMT) kick-off and spoke of Dean Smith and Norwich, Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez, and perfection – amongst other topics.
Pep on Norwich:
"It was a long time ago [the reverse fixture]. Different manager. We lost two seasons ago when we were there [Carrow Road]. At the moment, Norwich momentum is excellent - 7 points for the last 9 - we are facing them in their best momentum of the season."
Pep on Jack Grealish:
"No-one knows Jack better than Dean, I agree with him [that Grealish gives everything to improve every day]. He plays good when he was playing, he helps us to be in the position we are in, he plays at a high level, he changes his life from Birmingham to here. He plays really well, either wide or centrally. We are really good about the play. Even Fernandinho, the player I have been together with since day one, always I still push them to be better every day. When we come to the training centre we must think how can we be better."
Pep on the best Riyad Mahrez:
"No [this is not the best Mahrez], last season was the best moment I have seen of Riyad. He can still be better this season to be at the same level as the last 5, 6 months of last season when he was outstanding."
More on Mahrez:
"The quality of the finishing, personality of the penalties, his ability, his technique, the speed. He has this quality."
Pep on team news:
"No, these two players [Gabriel Jesus and Cole Palmer] are still out but I think Gabriel is coming back soon, hopefully."
Pep on the 'typical City' mentality of some fans:
"I was born in Barcelona when the academy taught me everything. The best way even there is everything can go wrong. The warnings to yourself have to be as an individual player or as a team that tomorrow you can go down and lose, and lose and lose.
"We make an incredible run in the Premier League, 14 games, 13 victories and a draw. Liverpool is there behind the corner, which means how difficult it is. It's not about mentality, the players show it's not about fear, it's to face every game with optimism but knowing we can lose and drop points. It's how you behave in the moments when you are losing.
"Against Brentford, we were 2-0 up and Kevin [De Bruyne], the best player in the Premier League last season, ran 40 metres back to help John Stones at right-back. We can't ask any more than that after winning what we won individually and collectively.
"We have to fight to win the league and if we want to win, we'll have to win an incredible amount of points against an incredible opponent we’ve faced many times. The margin against Liverpool is nothing. We have to win a lot - more than 90 points. 95, 96 to be champions."
Pep on the 3-2 Norwich defeat in 2019:
"We are used to playing incredible atmospheres in the Premier League. Norwich has an incredible atmosphere, we had it in Aston Villa, Leeds. Away is always a fantastic atmosphere. Focus on what we have to do on the pitch. Focus every player individually and as a team on what we have to do to beat them. That’s the best way to forget the atmosphere but these players are used to playing in Champions League in the biggest stages and in great atmospheres."
Pep on how close to perfection his side are:
"Far away, never a team will be perfect. As humans we are imperfect. Perfection doesn't exist. In sport, especially football it's not an individual sport so many things can be adjusted."
Written by: @NA1907_
All quotes as quoted by Manchester Evening News and Manchester City.
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