Pep Guardiola praises Aston Villa for their impressive victory over the champions at Villa Park, describing them as significantly improved.

In a tongue-in-cheek response, Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has jokingly stated that he needs cameras to feed his ego. This comes ahead of City’s clash with Aston Villa on Wednesday, a match in which they will be seeking revenge for their 1-0 defeat in December. The game will be broadcast on TNT Sports.

With City currently sitting in third place in the Premier League, three points behind leaders Liverpool, this match is crucial for their title hopes. However, Villa will not make it easy for them, as they comprehensively outplayed City in their previous encounter, with Leon Bailey scoring the winning goal.

Under the guidance of experienced manager Unai Emery, Villa have been performing well this season and are currently in fourth place, five points behind City. While they may not be in the title race, they are in contention for a Champions League spot alongside Tottenham and Manchester United.

Guardiola was quick to acknowledge the improvement Villa have made under Emery, praising his countryman for turning their fortunes around. Speaking to TNT Sports, Guardiola said, “It’s a fact [that Villa have improved]. They were much better than us in all departments [in December]. We were not good, we have to accept it. The only way to improve is to accept one team is better than you.”

Despite the pressure of the title race, Guardiola appeared relaxed when discussing the upcoming matches. He highlighted the need for his team to focus on their own performance and find solutions to the problems their opponents present.

City and Guardiola have plenty of experience in tight title races and big games, but this season’s three-way battle for the title adds an extra level of tension. However, Guardiola dismissed any suggestion of added pressure, stating that it is similar to previous battles with Liverpool and Arsenal.

To watch the Manchester City vs Aston Villa match, viewers can tune in to TNT Sports. The game will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 19:30 and kick-off at 20:15. TNT Sports is available on major TV platforms and can be subscribed to through discovery+, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media. To find local establishments showing TNT Sports, fans can use the Pub Finder tool.