Pep Guardiola has pointed to Chelsea’s extensive squad depth as a significant advantage over Manchester City, Liverpool, and Arsenal this season.
With City currently struggling in the Premier League, Guardiola has urged his team to learn from Chelsea’s approach to managing player workloads.
City, now sitting fifth in the league, are nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool after enduring a tough run of form.
Ahead of Sunday’s derby against Manchester United, Guardiola faces the worst streak of his managerial career, with just one win in their last ten games across all competitions and seven defeats during that stretch.
A key factor in City’s struggles has been the absence of Rodri, who suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Rodri’s injury comes after a grueling 2023-24 campaign in which he played 75 matches, including a victorious stint with Spain at the Euros.
Guardiola lamented the toll of the packed schedule, admitting Rodri returned from the summer break fatigued.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are thriving under Enzo Maresca’s leadership. The Blues have won six consecutive matches across all competitions and look poised to continue their strong form as they prepare for a Premier League clash against Brentford.
Maresca has effectively leveraged Chelsea’s large squad, rotating players like Nicolas Jackson, Moises Caicedo, and Cole Palmer to keep them fresh for domestic fixtures while fielding a different lineup for their Conference League campaign.
This strategy has allowed Chelsea to balance their commitments without overloading key players.
Guardiola acknowledged the importance of such depth in navigating a packed football schedule. “Why is Rodri injured? He played 75 games last season,” he said.
“After the season ended, he went to the Euros with Spain, came back tired, and wasn’t at the top. Unfortunately, that’s when injuries happen.”
The City boss admitted that while fatigue impacts all players, adopting a deeper squad model like Chelsea’s could help minimize injuries and improve performance in the future.