Pep Guardiola has expressed that Manchester City still has a chance to overtake Arsenal in the Premier League. He cautioned their opponents that “plenty can transpire in 13 matches,” following a 2-1 victory over Liverpool, which reduced the points gap at the top to six.
City rallied late with two goals within the last six minutes, courtesy of Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland, turning around Dominik Szoboszlai’s opener in the 74th minute. This victory not only secured three points but also marked the first time City has done the league double over Liverpool in 89 years.
With this win, City now has the opportunity to close within three points of Arsenal, who are set to face Brentford on Thursday, provided they secure a victory against Fulham at the Etihad on Wednesday.
Guardiola remains optimistic that the pressure inherent in a title race gives City a chance to surpass Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and claim the championship.
“We are six points behind,” Guardiola stated. “It’s a significant gap, but many things can happen. It’s better to have these three points.”
“One never knows if six points will be sufficient for Arsenal, but 13 matches is a considerable amount of time, and with the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup final approaching, and the Champions League returning in March, injuries could occur.”
“There are also other teams striving for their goals – fighting for European spots or attempting to avoid relegation, which makes every match competitive.”
“Based on my experience, 13 games provide ample time. The closing stage is incredibly challenging, but the key is to stay in contention.”
“All we can do is stay close to Arsenal and be ready to capitalize if they err.”
“We still have to take them on at home, so certainly, we need a win against them.”
City was on the verge of a 3-1 finish at the end when Rayan Cherki netted a goal from his own half, but it was disallowed due to a foul involving Haaland and Szoboszlai as the ball approached the goal.
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After a VAR review of the situation, referee Craig Pawson awarded a free-kick to City and issued a red card to Szoboszlai for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity, despite the ball going in the net.
Guardiola argued that the goal should have been validated and that Szoboszlai shouldn’t have been penalized.
“Isn’t it common sense?” Guardiola remarked. “How many fouls do referees allow during games? Just award the goal and let Szobo continue playing.”