Julen Lopetegui believes West Ham United face the biggest challenge in world football when they take on Manchester City on Saturday evening.
The Hammers welcome the reigning Premier League champions to London Stadium hoping to extend their winning run to three games in all competitions, having won 2-0 at Crystal Palace last weekend, then defeated AFC Bournemouth 1-0 in the Carabao Cup second round on home turf in midweek.
However, the standard of opposition will rise this weekend as Pep Guardiola’s early pacesetters arrive in east London, having won both of their opening two fixtures and had a rest in midweek, having been given a bye in the Carabao Cup due to their UEFA Champions League participation.
Under the management of Lopetegui’s fellow countryman Guardiola, City have won four Premier League titles in a row, not lost in the top-flight since 6 December 2023 – a run of 25 matches – and in Erling Haaland possess arguably the most potent centre-forward on the planet.
Lopetegui has lost both previous meetings with City – with Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League group stage in September 2022 and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League in January 2023 – but did guide FC Porto to a 3-1 win over Guardiola’s Bayern Munich in the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final back in April 2015.
As a coach who aspires to win every game his teams play, and one who demands much from his players to achieve those targets, Lopetegui is determined to score his first Premier League win over City and Guardiola, but at the same time is realistic about the size of the task his Hammers face this weekend.
We have a big challenge in front of us
The best present [to mark my birthday on Wednesday] is always a victory that allows us to go forward in this competition, but that is the past and the present is to be ready and to be focused for the big challenge we have in front of us which is Manchester City.
We have to recover, for sure. They had a day off in the week so they had a rest, while we had to fight very hard until the end yesterday.
OK, but it’s enough important motivation to play a Premier League match and against City we will have to recover as soon as possible to face this match with our best face.
We can’t do anything [about City not playing in midweek]. It happened and we have to be focused. We have to be ready to recover as soon as possible and to use these two days to rest a lot to be able to have a line up on Saturday full of energy to face one the best teams in the world.
We know of the quality of the City players and City coach and their style, but we are going to go on Saturday with the aim to be able to overcome an unbelievable team as is City.
One of the best teams in the history of football
It's not only about stopping Haaland but the City team. It’s very difficult because they are one of the best teams in the history of football, not only in the current Premier League.
For sure, Haaland is a striker and he is very strong. I suffered him a lot of times in a lot of teams and we know his quality, but it is not only him. They have a lot of players, a lot of collective quality and they have big, big players so we have to be focused to try to beat these difficulties we have for sure in front of us.
The transfer window being open now is crazy
The first thing is that all the coaches say the same and lot of main actors in football think the same, that it’s a crazy thing that you have to be competing while the market is open, but all of us know it and nobody is able to do anything about it and we have to adapt.
It’s true that the market is open and anything can happen in all the teams, but my focus as a coach is to be ready to face one of the best teams in the history of football.
It is an important aim to put my energy in these things and for the rest of the things Tim and the Club are working all the summer very hard and for sure they are going to take the best decisions to make sure we have the best squad possible to face this important season.
We are very happy for Jarrod
First of all, we are very happy for Jarrod because he's in the [England] national team again and he deserves it.
He is our captain and he is ready to develop his responsibility. I am very happy with his commitment always and he is a good player, so we are happy with him, for sure.
Taking things one match as a time
To get back to Europe as soon as possible only happens in June, so here the only thing that is important is the next match.
After, of course, you can be very ambitious but you have to build this ambition step by step, facing each match with all of your energy and putting your focus on each match to achieve your aims.
