Pep Guardiola claims Man City’s rivals want them blown ‘off the face of the earth’ as club face being kicked out of the Premier League in football’s trial of the century

Pep Guardiola has added fuel to the fire in the Premier League’s historic affair with Manchester City by claiming that the club’s rivals want to wipe them out of existence.

City’s legal team met with their league counterparts at the International Centre for Dispute Resolution in London on Monday for the start of a 10-week hearing into alleged financial irregularities spanning nine seasons.

The champions face a range of potential sanctions if found guilty, from expulsion from the top flight to points deductions and hefty fines. And on the eve of facing title contenders Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola fanned the flames.

“I’m sorry to say that I always want to defend my club, especially in these modern times,” said the City manager.

“It’s as if no one expected us not to descend, but to disappear from the face of the earth.

“I would say that we have had much better days than our opponents and that is why we win so much. It is not complicated.”

The timing of Guardiola’s remarks is significant given City believe Arsenal were central in leading an effort to force the Court of Arbitration for Sport to exclude them from the Champions League, while an appeal over a ban, eventually overturned, was heard four years ago.

Guardiola has stood firm in his constant defence of his employers and a decision on more than 100 positions is expected to be made in the new year.

In 2020, the Catalan demanded an apology from rival clubs, including Arsenal, and used what he called a “whispering” campaign against City as motivation to further extend his stay as manager, winning an unprecedented four consecutive league titles.

Guardiola, meanwhile, insisted Mikel Arteta will not park the bus again on Sunday, as Arsenal did during their goalless draw in April, but suggested he would have no qualms about doing something similar if necessary.

“Mikel knows that I’m not going to play at zero-zero and I know that he’s not going to play at zero-zero,” he added. “There are very few coaches at the top level, in the top six or seven (clubs), who go into the game thinking ‘we’re going to play at zero-zero’.

‘I would agree to sit for a long, long time and then make a transition to score a goal. I swear to God, I would do it. I would do it.

‘I want to win desperately, desperately. I live better and everyone is happier and everything is much, much better.

‘I’m very optimistic and very happy with what I saw on Wednesday against Inter.

“The opponents know we are still there. I love the way we run and the way we press against Inter.”