Harry Redknapp identifies Pep Guardiola’s biggest challenge for Man City’s Premier League title hopes

Harry Redknapp believes Pep Guardiola faces a huge challenge in keeping his Manchester City players motivated after winning the treble last season.

City kick off the 2023/2024 Premier League season on Friday when they face Vincent Kompany’s newly-promoted Burnley at Turf Moor. The Blues are early favourites for a fourth consecutive title and a sixth under manager Pep Guardiola.

Last season saw the squad reach the pinnacle of domestic football, adding a first ever Champions League to their league and FA Cup double to complete a historic treble. And Redknapp believes that keeping payers up for the fight after that triumph could prove Guardiola’s biggest challenge since he arrived in 2016.

“That may seem a strange thing to say for a side that won the Treble and obviously City will be the ones to beat again,” He explained to The Sun. “But when you’ve got everything in life, sometimes it’s a case of, ‘What more can we do?’

“And Pep has a hell of a job on his hands to keep them as hungry and bang at it again. Let’s be honest, as brilliant as City were last time, the title was in Arsenal’s hands and they let it slip.

“Mikel Arteta has signed very well in the summer — as have others, which I’ll come to in a minute — while Pep has lost one or two. Ilkay Gundogan’s gone to Barcelona, Riyad Mahrez is in Saudi and there are still doubts about Kyle Walker, who is a fantastic right-back.

“City were on the ropes last season and came out fighting when it mattered. Well there’s no doubt they are in a genuine fight again… and I can see this one going the distance.”

City have seen all of their title rivals invest heavily this summer, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool all spending big money. However Guardiola has also managed to strengthen, adding Croatian duo Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol for a combined £102.5million.