Guardiola has message for City rivals: 'We can only get better'

LONDON - Pep Guardiola has warned Manchester City's Premier League rivals that the champion is still well below its peak despite powering to a 2-0 win over Chelsea in the Community Shield on Sunday.

Guardiola's team wrapped up its preseason preparations by sweeping aside Chelsea in the season's curtain raiser at Wembley Stadium.

Sergio Aguero's early opener and a second-half strike by the Argentina forward - goals that took his career haul for City to 201 - ensured the title favorite picked up where it left off in last season's record-breaking campaign.

But ominously for Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United - all hoping to dethrone City - Guardiola revealed his players are still well short of firing on all cylinders after only a handful of training sessions following the World Cup.

"We are satisfied, but still we are far away from the (best) physical condition. We can only get better. The players are in bad, bad condition," Guardiola said.

"We didn't train a lot this week. We wanted to arrive fresh in this heat. It's complicated for all of them, but they are so competitive. It's not easy to play after such a short time.

"We have seven days to train this week and hopefully we can increase that level. Now we focus on Arsenal."

Whatever its fitness issues, City looked slick enough in the sweltering north London sunshine, running Chelsea ragged.

Guardiola's squad could have won by five and, ahead of the club's Premier League opener at Arsenal on Sunday, the Spaniard plans to strengthen his already formidable lineup even further.

Having signed Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez from Leicester earlier in preseason, Guardiola also wants to acquire a defensive midfielder.

City has been linked with midfielders Miralem Pjanic of Juventus, Marco Verratti of Paris Saint-Germain and Mateo Kovacic of Real Madrid, and asked if the club would swoop before Thursday's transfer deadline, Guardiola said: "I don't know. We are trying to find maybe one more.

"We don't have players to substitute for Fernandinho."

Sharp Sergio

With Aguero becoming the first City player to break the 200-goal barrier, Guardiola praised the Argentina international's sharpness.

"We were really impressed when he arrived for the preseason.

"Often he needs time for his physical condition, but he arrived so sharp, so good," said the manager.

"He feels free. It's good news for us."

While Aguero hogged the Wembley spotlight, there was also an eye-catching display from Phil Foden.

City's 18-year-old midfielder has long been tipped for stardom and Guardiola thinks the England Under-17 World Cup winner is on the brink of a breakthrough campaign.

"Phil is part of the first team. He played a few matches last season and now he is more mature. He did really well," Guardiola said.

Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri said his team's hectic preseason schedule has left players unable to adapt to his tactics.

There has been little time to work on Sarri's trademark attacking style and, with another friendly against Lyon in midweek, the Italian fears his team will be underprepared going into its opener at Huddersfield on Saturday.

"In the second half there was a big difference between us and City from the physical point of view, so we have to work," he said.

AP