Pep Guardiola plays down his managerial ability at Manchester City

Pep Guardiola directed praise for Manchester City‘s successes this season towards the personality of his players.

City can be crowned Premier League champions this weekend if they beat Crystal Palace and Manchester United lose against Liverpool on Sunday.

Guardiola, whose side will play a minimum of 60 matches by the end of the campaign, put their achievements down to the squad’s resolve.

‘I’m a manager but I don’t feel we have time,’ he said. ‘The only reason is the quality of the players, understand what we are looking for.

‘No more secrets, in one season you can be a success, win something important, but to do it over the years it’s just one secret: have quality players. Don’t sell it on any other aspects than that.

‘When you have a team like this you can sustain it for a long time. None of the managers at top clubs have time, playing every three days, we don’t have training.’

Guardiola is likely to rotate City’s team at Selhurst Park on Saturday, with the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling expected to start.

City have flourished without a striker over the past few months and beat PSG operating with a false nine in midweek.

‘I have to admit it, I like the players who can keep the ball, it’s one of the things I look at most,’ Guardiola added.

‘If they keep the ball in difficult circumstances, I have the feeling you can play better. But we need everyone.

‘I don’t need to talk about how important Sergio Aguero has been in this period and the past. Raheem too. Everyone is important. But I like it when players just keep the ball and see what we can produce with that.’