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Rob Dawson, Correspondent
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Pep Guardiola isn’t usually fond of long trips to pack more games into an already hectic calendar, but he may look back on the FIFA Club World Cup as a blessing in disguise.
Make no mistake, if he has to be here — and FIFA says he does — Guardiola wants to win, and by beating Urawa Red Diamonds at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Tuesday, Manchester City will get the chance to be crowned as the best club team in the world and win a fifth trophy in 2023 when they face Brazilian side Fluminense at the same venue on Friday.
But the benefits of a December trip to Saudi Arabia may extend beyond adding another piece of silverware to the stocked cabinet. City have arrived in Jeddah at a time when things aren’t going so smoothly in the Premier Leaguewith one win in their past six games. Perhaps spending a week training in the Middle Eastern sun, away from the cold and damp of Manchester, will end up being a valuable opportunity to reset and recharge.
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City were expected to beat Urawa Reds, the 2022 AFC Champions League winners, and did so comfortably. But there was also a hint of the old swagger returning as they completely dominated the game. In the first half alone, Guardiola’s team had nearly 80% possession and 13 shots, while Urawa Reds failed to muster a single attempt.
The Japanese side barely crossed the halfway line. and if City felt at all vulnerable after their poor recent run, this was the perfect antidote. It ended 3-0 — thanks to an own goal and efforts from Matthew Kovacic and Bernard Silva — but it could easily have been five or six if City had found the motivation to leave second gear. Perhaps just as importantly for Guardiola, it was a first clean sheet in nine games.
Fluminense will offer a sterner test on Friday but for large parts of their semifinal against Al Ahly FC on Monday, the champions of South America were second best. There’s certainly not much for Guardiola to fear.
“It’s the first time Manchester City is here,” said Guardiola. “I represent this incredible club and I’m happy to get to the final against Fluminense. It’s the last step to win the title, the only title the club doesn’t have, so we go for it.”
The bigger question is what City’s involvement in the competition might do for the Premier League title race. They left the UK on Saturday night, after a disappointing 2-2 draw with Crystal Palacefourth in the table and five points behind leaders Arsenal.
They could be further adrift by the time they get home with Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa all in action this weekend, but history suggests a break from the rigours of domestic football isn’t the worst thing for a team chasing the title. Manchester United took part in the inaugural Club World Cup in 2000 following a stuttering start to their season which saw Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1999 treble winners sitting fourth in the table after 12 games.
United didn’t make it out of their group at the tournament in Brazil, but they did have the opportunity to take a break from the Premier League and when they returned — refreshed and revitalised — they raced through the second half of the season, losing just one game and reeling off 11 straight wins to cruise to the title by 18 points.
City have their own history of long winning runs and when Silva was asked at a news conference on Monday whether they were still capable, the Portugal midfielder carefully readjusted his microphone and replied: “Do you doubt us?” As much as Arsenal and Liverpool look like viable title contenders, it would be foolish to write off a team that has won the Premier League five times in the last six years.
On Wednesday, City’s players have the day off followed by a team dinner. “Being together is really important,” Guardiola said. “During the season, you arrive at training and go home. Here we spend more time. In terms of training, no way. We keep energy for the day of the game. Just rest, massage, and rest well. This is the most important thing.”
City will likely restart their league campaign against Everton at Goodison Park on Dec. 27 in better shape than when they left. Ruben Dias and Julian Alvarez were both rested against Urawa Reds while Kevin De Bruynewho hasn’t played since the opening weekend of the season after undergoing hamstring surgery, was able to return to training on Monday.
De Bruyne won’t play any part in Saudi Arabia but the Belgian is nearing a comeback. Star striker Erling Haaland has also been ruled out of the tournament but there’s hope he might be fit to make his comeback against Everton.
After 10 European winners in a row, it would be no surprise to anyone if City win the Club World Cup on Friday. Crucially, though, their trip could open the door to more silverware come the end of the season.
