Pep Guardiola had insisted for weeks that Arsenal were the favorites but, having moved two points clear of Arsenal with two games remaining, he changed course and said Manchester City were now in pole position to win a fifth title in six years.
Arsenal are still top of the table, but asked which position he prefers, Guardiola said: “Absolutely where I am now, because it is in our hands. We have to win game in hand, but it is down to us. As of today I like Arsenal’s position.”
“The next three games are very important. Fulham on Sunday, then two home games. These three games will decide if we do what we have to do. It sounds naive, but we are behind Arsenal, they are two points ahead of us.” .
Manchester City beat Arsenal thanks to two goals from Kevin De Bruyne and one each from John Stones and Erling Haaland.
Erling Haaland also assisted both of De Bruyne’s goals and afterwards Guardiola said City’s attacking duo had decided the game.
“This game belongs to them,” Guardiola said as quoted by ESPN.
“I didn’t teach them how they find each other in training. Footballers are more natural than you expect. Erling knows when Kevin has the ball. Kevin is an expert at assisting with or without Erling. Erling scores goals all the time with or without Kevin. But together -sama, with space at the back, they are very dangerous.”
Despite the lopsided scoreline, Arteta refuses to concede defeat in the title race, but admits Arsenal may have to win their five remaining matches to finish above Manchester City.
“It was a very difficult night after our loss but we have to stand up, look at the bigger picture and the fact that we are competitive with this team and it’s amazing to be fair,” Arteta said. “We want to compete, we are not going to give up, it’s five games and in this league anything can happen.”
“We were beaten by a better team, that’s for sure. They were incredible and when that happens it’s very difficult. You have to start, first of all, by competing. We were punished and we can be more than that.” punished.
“Those players deserve a lot of credit for the 9½ months against this team where we are. And there are still five games to play.
“I’ve been almost 22 years in this country and I’ve seen a lot of things and I know how much it changes from game to game. No two games are equal in this league. First of all, we have to pick up our players who suffered tonight and played against an amazing team. We are an amazing team too, but today we were not in the race.”
Asked if Arsenal need to reach 90 points by winning their remaining five games, Arteta replied: “I think so. I don’t know what will happen. needed.
“First of all we have to lift the players tonight because they are suffering and it is difficult to swallow and lift them.”
Arteta dismissed suggestions his players froze that night after trailing by just seven minutes to play in a game that Manchester City dominated from start to finish.
“I don’t think they were scared, but obviously the way we started the game didn’t help us because we put ourselves in trouble in a lot of situations,” added Arteta.
“We lost all the race, first ball and second and when that happened they started vertical attacks and opened up space to attack, and that created uncertainty.
“We didn’t get the game we wanted and they were very good.”
Despite his manager’s belief and the prevailing feeling that City will win the title and perhaps even the treble, Kevin De Bruyne has been quick to remind everyone that there is still a long way to go.
“We know what people will say, but it’s still seven games,” said De Bruyne. “I know we have a game in hand but we’re still behind them. We’re not going to give up until it’s mathematically impossible to do so. Our schedule is packed and there’s a lot going on.”
