Manchester City Pep Guardiola warns title rivals Arsenal that “many things can happen” with 13 games left in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola has warned Arsenal that the Premier League title race is far from over after Manchester City secured a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. Late goals from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland cancelled out Dominik Szoboszlai’s opener, moving City to within six points of the league leaders and sealing their first league double over Liverpool in 89 years.
The win puts massive pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side, as City could move within just three points if they beat Fulham on Wednesday before Arsenal face Brentford the following day. Despite the current gap, Guardiola remains confident that the pressure of the run-in will lead to slips. “We are six points behind,” Guardiola said. “OK, it is a big gap, but many things can happen, so it’s better to have the three points.”
The City boss pointed to a congested schedule involving the FA Cup, Champions League, and the Carabao Cup final as factors that could shift the momentum. “Who knows if six points is enough [for Arsenal], but 13 games is a lot and the FA Cup is coming, the Carabao Cup final too, the Champions League is back in March and injuries will happen,” he noted. He emphasized that the goal is to stay close enough to pounce on any errors: “All we can do is breathe down the neck of Arsenal, being there, and try if they slip, if they make something [a mistake], use it.”
The match ended in controversy when a long-range goal from Rayan Cherki was disallowed following a VAR review for a tussle between Haaland and Szoboszlai. Referee Craig Pawson ultimately sent off Szoboszlai, a decision Guardiola disagreed with, suggesting a more practical approach was needed. “Common sense, no?” Guardiola said. “How many pulls are there in the game that referees play on? Just give a goal, play on and let Szobo play.”
With a massive head-to-head clash at the Etihad still to come, Guardiola made his intentions clear: “We have to play them [Arsenal] at home, so of course we have to beat them.”
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