Online Reporter
Pep Guardiola said that Manchester City’s vital 2-1 victory over Arsenal has only given his side “hope” in the Premier League title race as they look to hunt down the Gunners.
City are three points behind the leaders but have a game in hand and would go top for the first time this year if they beat struggling Burnley on Wednesday.
Guardiola’s men are now favourites for a seventh league title in his 10 seasons in Manchester, with momentum very much in their favour.
Arsenal have lost their last four games in domestic competitions, including the League Cup final to City last month. But even if City win at Burnley, the sides will only be level on points with five games remaining. “We are there, but the reality is what? Who is the top of the league? We are not. Who has the better goal difference?
“So, step-by-step. But of course we’ve got hope to still extend the chances to fight in the league.”
Erling Haaland struck the winner 25 minutes from time in a game of fine margins.
Arsenal hit the post twice in the second half, either side of Haaland’s strike, and also missed two glorious chances through Kai Havertz.
Rayan Cherki’s sensational solo run and finish had given City an early lead that was almost immediately wiped out when Havertz charged down an attempted clearance by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
But it was Bernardo Silva who earned rave reviews from Guardiola in the week he announced that he will depart at the end of the season after nine years at the Etihad.
“You have to write the word legend in capital letters for him, not for today but for every single game during nine years,” added Guardiola.
“He is a special player. Wherever he will go, the team will be so lucky!”
Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta shrugged off a 2-1 defeat by title rivals Manchester City on Sunday and said the Premier League starts again with five games left to play.
Victory would have sent Arteta’s side nine points clear as they seek a first English title since 2004.
“The Premier League starts again almost. They have a game in hand, we are three points ahead, five games to play so game on,” the Spaniard said after Arsenal’s fourth successive defeat in domestic competitions.
“Obviously, the players were very disappointed not to get a result from the game in the manner that it happened. That’s the feeling. They said ‘okay, we lost an opportunity today, but we have the biggest one now in the next five games, so let’s do it.'”
While City have reeled Arsenal in, the remaining fixtures of the two clubs seem to favour Arteta’s side. They have home games against Newcastle United, Fulham and Burnley and away trips to West Ham United and Crystal Palace.
After they go to Burnley, Pep Guardiola’s City face European-chasing Everton and Bournemouth away and Brentford, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace at home.
Arsenal also have the ‘distraction’ of a Champions League semifinal against Atletico Madrid, though and the strain is beginning to show on Arteta’s side.
Having suffered three defeats in their opening 49 matches of this season in all competitions, Arsenal have now lost four of their last six while their last top-flight victory came more than a month ago.
Arsenal remain top with 70 points from 33 games and Arteta believes there will be more twists.
“Let’s see what happens. It’s the Premier League. First of all, to win a game in this league is extremely tough,” he said. “I mean look at the fixtures that we both have. It’s going to be tough for both of us.
“If not we would have already 80 points or 85 points like happened in other seasons, it is not the case. So we will prepare game by game and learn from what happened today and do better. Everything is still to play for.
“We’re not going to stop and we’re going to go again, that’s for sure.” — Sun
Mathew Masinge