Pep Guardiola warns Bayern Munich’s rivals ahead of Arsenal test

• Posted on February 19, 2014February 19, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Pep Guardiola has warned his rivals Bayern Munich can only get better as they prepare for the latest challenge to their Champions League defence.

The Bayern manager’s frightening assessment comes hours before he attempts to break new ground personally by winning at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in the first leg of the clubs’ last-16 tie.

Guardiola has lost just twice since inheriting the European champions from Jupp Heynckes in the summer – and those defeats came in the pre-season German Super Cup and in a Champions League dead rubber with Manchester City.

The City defeat is the only blot on Bayern’s copybook in 21 games, and they left for north London with a 16-point lead in the Bundesliga.

But, in an extended interview with Sky Sports ahead of the Arsenal game, Guardiola told Geoff Shreeves he is only just getting started in Bavaria.

He said: “We’ve played five, six, seven games at a huge, huge level in six or seven months.

“Regularly we play okay for three minutes, 20 minutes, but not consistently. That’s normal. We change little things and ideas, and I need time.

“During the process it’s important to win because you get more time to work. When you don’t win, you know it’s more difficult to change quickly.

“We are in a good position, but I’m still in a period where I’m getting to know the players, and the players me. I feel we are still in a process of getting better.”

Guardiola’s Barcelona teams twice dazzled the Emirates with stunning first-half performances in the Champions League knockout only to leave without victory, once drawing 2-2 and, in February 2011, losing to a late Andrey Arshavin goal.

The Spaniard is wary of a repeat, despite Bayern’s 3-1 win there last season, and he said: “You can’t dominate Arsenal for 90 minutes.

“You can play better for a time, and we’re going to try it for as long a time as possible, but always Arsenal have maybe three minutes, one half, 75 minutes where they are special.”

Watch the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League tie with Bayern Munich live on Sky Sports 1. Coverage begins at 7pm tonight. In the meantime, click on the video link to watch the full Pep Guardiola interview.

-skysports