Pep Guardiola believes “Arsenal will destroy” his Manchester City team unless they improve their form in the near future.

The Citizens came from 2-0 down to win 4-2 against Tottenham on Thursday evening but Guardiola was clearly unhappy with the attitude of his players, particularly in the first half, and he wants to see some more fire and desire in upcoming fixtures:

“We are a happy flowers team, all nice and good. I don’t want to be happy flowers. I want to beat Arsenal. If we play in that way, Arsenal will destroy us.”

City face Wolves on Sunday before they take on Arsenal in the FA Cup next Friday. The Premier League champions then come up against Spurs again before matches versus Aston Villa at the Etihad and the Gunners at the Emirates.

While Guardiola’s outburst may have come as a surprise to some, he is a born winner, and he knows that recent performances have been way below the standards he sets.

It was probably wise to give his players a dressing down now so they can refocus ahead of some crucial games