Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has sent a strong warning to league leaders Arsenal, insisting that his side have plenty of time to catch up in the Premier League title race.
The Cityzens pulled off a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, with goals from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland cancelling out Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning free-kick.
That win, crucially, keeps City in the title race and reduces Arsenal’s cushion at the summit to six points. That gap could shrink further in the coming days, with Guardiola’s men hosting Fulham before the Gunners face Brentford on Thursday.
After the victory over Liverpool, Guardiola spoke about the importance of securing all three points against the reigning champions, emphasising that there’s plenty of time remaining in the season and the Premier League title is not out of reach.
“Of course, we would be disappointed, and all the questions would be over and over [about the title race], but six points is better than nine,” the Spanish tactician said, per Football London.
“It is still a lot considering how strong Arsenal are in all departments. The last 10 games, from my experience, have been so difficult. The important thing is to try to be there and improve because the second half was not good enough again.”
“All we can do is breathe down the neck of Arsenal and be there, try if they slip up, and use it. I have a feeling that improving a little bit will not be enough to compete against Arsenal, but still, we have a margin (to improve).
“We have to (play them) at home, and of course we have to beat them. And I’ve said, 13 games in the Premier League, from my point of view, from my little experience, is a lot of time, a lot.”
Despite Guardiola’s warning, Arsenal, who have thus far been the best team in the English top-flight division by a mile, remain firm favourites to lift the Premier League trophy this season.
However, the Gunners face a tricky run of league games in the coming weeks with the likes of Brentford, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Brighton and Everton all waiting in line for a chance to derail their course.
The games against Spurs and Chelsea, being London’s huge derbies, could be particularly challenging for Arsenal, as form and momentum are usually not enough to guarantee victory for the teams involved.
Meanwhile, City face a less challenging run on paper with Fulham, Leeds United, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Crystal Palace as their next six opponents in the Premier League.
