Pep Guardiola questions Chelsea's hire-and-fire approach amid Maurizio Sarri pressure

Guardiola meets Sarri at Wembley on Sunday as Manchester City look to retain the League Cup

Pep Guardiola has questioned Chelsea’s short-term approach to hiring managers as pressure mounts on his Stamford Bridge counterpart Maurizio Sarri.

Guardiola meets Sarri at Wembley on Sunday as Manchester City look to retain the League Cup against an out-of-sorts Chelsea.

It is less than a fortnight since City inflicted Chelsea’s heaviest-ever Premier League defeat, a 6-0 thrashing at the Etihad.

City are favourites to win at Wembley, where a defeat could cut Sarri’s first season in English football short.

Guardiola himself endured a difficult first season on these shores two years ago but believes his success since shows why clubs be patient with their head coaches.

“In my first year, never the club doubted me,” Guardiola said. “It was never in the media that I’d be sacked if they lose this game.

“I was surprised that when [Antonio] Conte won the title and they lost one or two games at the beginning of the season, people start to say he was going to be sacked.

“I said: ‘Wow, but two or three months ago they won the Premier League.’ The situation is completely different.”

Guardiola said on Friday that, almost two weeks on, he wishes City had not beaten Chelsea quite so convincingly in the league.

“In that moment, I was so happy to beat them. But now, I would prefer not to have beaten them 6-0,” he said.

“I don’t like to play in a short period of time when you’ve beaten they so much. They are incredible professional players, they are proud, they will do extra.”

The City manager also claimed that Chelsea’s performance at the Etihad was not without its strong points.

“When we lost there and when we won here, my opinion of Sarri and his teams is always high,” he said.

“When we reviewed the game against us, maybe people don’t believe me but they did incredible things.

“The first goal was a mistake, they were not paying attention. The [third] goal Barkley made a mistake. Sergio scores an incredible goal.

“When that happens it’s tough for the managers and the teams. But they did many, many good things. That was my feeling. I’ve spoken to my staff and they had the same opinion.

“The pressure they had was quite good. They played good but we were so clinical in that game. With our four or five chances, we scored three or four goals.”