Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has issued a stark warning to his players, demanding significant improvement despite watching his side secure a comfortable 3-0 Premier League victory over West Ham United on Saturday 20 December 2025.
Victory Not Enough for Title Ambitions
The win at the Etihad Stadium, powered by a brace from Erling Haaland and a goal from Tijjani Reijnders, marked City's fifth consecutive league triumph. This result keeps the pressure on leaders Arsenal at the summit of the table. However, Guardiola was far from satisfied with the overall performance, bluntly stating it falls short of the standard required to sustain a serious title bid.
"I'm happy, I cannot deny that," Guardiola admitted, referencing the club's position in the Champions League and Carabao Cup semi-finals. "But the way we played with the ball we have to improve. Otherwise, it will not be enough to arrive in March and April to be contenders to win titles."
Guardiola's Honest Christmas Message
The Catalan coach revealed he gave his squad a frank assessment alongside seasonal greetings. "I want to be honest. I said to the players, 'Merry Christmas everyone but it will not be enough if we don't improve'," he explained.
He criticised the team's lack of precision and structure, even while in control of the game. "In the first half we controlled the game but even with that we were not in the right places to create... We had to create more chances to be solid," Guardiola noted. His concerns extended to the second half, where he felt the team failed to manage the game correctly, leaving the door ajar for a potential West Ham comeback.
Haaland Shines Amidst the Critique
Amidst the criticism, Guardiola did highlight the positive contribution of his star striker, Erling Haaland. The Norwegian opened the scoring after just five minutes, provided the assist for Reijnders, and then netted again to seal the points, taking his tally to 38 goals for club and country this season.
"There were many good things. Offensively, Erling," Guardiola said. "I always have to thank Erling for the goals but today thanks to him and Phil (Foden) and Nico O'Reilly they helped us to do this type of game. Defensively we are improving."
The result leaves West Ham in a precarious position, now six games without a win and in the relegation zone for Christmas. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo acknowledged his team's poor start and the need for urgent improvement to address their concerning situation.
