Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has challenged his players to compete for places in his starting XI, ahead of their clash with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotpsur in Nashville.

Want to compete with the big teams, they need to compete for places

City's tour of America has proved to be quite a mixed bag, having suffered defeat to rivals Manchester United in their opening fixture but turned that around with their 4-1 win over Champions League holders Real Madrid.

The Eastland's side head into their final clash looking to bow out of their trip across the Atlantic with a win, but as the penultimate pre-season ahead of the Premier League's first weekend the coach will be getting an idea of what his time will look like when they step out at the AMEX Stadium.

City have one final game against West Ham United in Iceland ahead of that clash with Brighton & Hove Albion, and Guardiola stated pre-match that he is looking for his players to compete for places in his squad.

"If you want to compete with the big teams," Guardiola told his pre-match press conference. "You need players that are competing for a place."

"So they feel if they don’t play well another person can come in," the coach stated to the gathered press. “I have to be fair with what I see on the pitch, not what I’ve seen in the past. It’s good for them."

“Everybody will play," Guardiola confirmed. "I’m a guy who makes a lot of rotation during the season, not a fixed 11.”

Will remain as long as possible

Guardiola will be looking to bring success to City as he enters his second season at Etihad Stadium, but success will not be a thing for the fans but himself as he looks to recitfy his disappointing debut season in which he failed to win silverware for the first time in his managerial career.

The 2017/18 season will be the penultimate year in the 46-year-old's current three-year contract, and the coach hinted that his stay could be lengthened.

"I will try to remain as long as possible to help," he said. "To help City keep moving forward and stay high."

"I think the club has to work and listen to the manager in the right moment," the Catalan admitted. "But also take their own decisions in the future."

"Nobody knows what will happen," Guardiola concluded. "For all the managers in the world it depends on the results."

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Danial  Kennedy
Award-winning sports journalism graduate. Currently studying a PR Masters at the University of Sunderland. Writing for VAVEL since August 2014. Twitter - @ddkjournalism.