Pep Guardiola has stated that an Arsenal victory at Manchester City on Sunday would effectively end the Premier League title race. However, he cautioned that his side would still have significant work to do even if they manage to beat the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta’s men currently hold a six-point lead at the top of the table, though City retain home advantage and a game in hand. Should Guardiola’s side win this top-of-the-table clash and follow it up with a victory at struggling Burnley on Wednesday, they would move into first place for the first time in months.
Despite Arsenal aiming for their first league title in 22 years, the London club appears to have struggled recently. A defeat to City in the League Cup final last month sparked a run of just one win in five games across all competitions. Nevertheless, Guardiola remains wary of the upcoming schedule, which includes difficult visits to Everton and Bournemouth.
“If we lose, yeah, it’s over,” Guardiola said during his pre-match press conference on Friday. “But the other two results, knowing that Arsenal didn’t win against Bournemouth, we still have games to play. Six games is a lot, given our calendar especially.”
The dynamics of the week also favor City; Arsenal faced the physical strain of edging past Sporting Lisbon to reach the Champions League semi-finals in midweek, while City have had seven days of preparation. Arteta, however, hailed his players’ resilience as the only English side to reach the final four despite a brutal schedule across four competitions.
Guardiola insistedthat Arsenal have been the best team in England so far and warned his players against being “distracted” by the intense focus on the title.
“I said today to the players, ‘it is just a football game’ and we have to approach it like a football game. If you get distracted by emotions, that is how you lose focus. What is the target? It is to perform well and that is exactly what you have got to do in all the aspects required to challenge a team like Arsenal.”
City striker Erling Haaland echoed the magnitude of the encounter, describing the clash as “like a final.” He noted that these are the specific moments and games players want to be in.
Guardiola also confirmed that Nico O’Reilly, who scored both goals in the League Cup final, is fit to play despite an injury scare during last weekend’s 3-0 win at Chelsea.