‘We cannot draw.’ Guardiola is concerned about major advantage Arsenal has in the title race
‘We cannot draw.’ Guardiola is concerned about major advantage Arsenal has in the title race
Pep Guardiola asserts that Manchester City cannot aspire to match Arsenal’s goal difference in the Premier League title race.
He emphasizes the importance of winning their remaining three games instead.
Arsenal briefly held a four-point lead at the top following their victory over Bournemouth, but City closed the gap to just one point by defeating Wolves 5-1, with Erling Haaland netting four goals.
With three league matches left against Fulham, Tottenham, and West Ham, City need to secure three victories to defend their title, while Arsenal have two games remaining.
If City were to draw any of those matches and Arsenal were to win their remaining two against Manchester United and Everton, it would secure the trophy for north London.
Goal difference would also be crucial if the two teams finished the season tied on points. Despite City’s five-goal victory on Saturday, they still trail Arsenal by six goals in that aspect.
Guardiola acknowledged after the win over Wolves that bridging that goal difference gap is highly improbable.
When asked if the goal is to approach the final day of the season with control over their fate, Guardiola affirmed to Sky Sports, “Of course. What happened at Villa two seasons ago.
“We have to win at Fulham [next Saturday] at 12:30pm which is always difficult. And Spurs is always [difficult].
“Because goal difference is not possible. We cannot draw. The way they [Arsenal] are playing since the winter break, it is incredible, the consistency and quality they have.
“But it is in our hands. It is three games. We have to win the first, second and hopefully we arrive at the last game with our destiny in our hands.”
City’s remaining match is against Tottenham, setting up a situation where Spurs could inadvertently help their arch-rivals secure the title with a victory.
Similarly, Manchester United faces a parallel scenario when they play Arsenal next Sunday; a win at home would bring City closer to achieving an unprecedented fourth consecutive title in the Premier League.
‘We cannot draw.’ Guardiola is concerned about major advantage Arsenal has in the title race