Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he is unconcerned about Arsenal’s recent stumbles despite results that have reopened the Premier League title race.
City appeared at risk of falling out of contention after inconsistent performances left Arsenal firmly in control at the top. However, draws against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford have handed the champions a crucial opportunity.
City now sit five points behind the leaders with a game in hand and a home clash against Arsenal scheduled for April. Should Guardiola’s side win their remaining 12 matches, they would secure a fifth league title in six seasons.
Despite the renewed optimism, Guardiola insists his focus remains solely on the next fixture rather than the standings. Speaking ahead of Saturday’s match against Newcastle United, he stressed that he has not discussed the table with his players.
“I didn’t talk about the table, or our position or something like that. I could not care less,” he said. “I didn’t talk about that for one second. Just Newcastle, Newcastle, Newcastle.
“If you ask me this question with two or three games left, I will have your answer. It’s 12 games left it’s an eternity.”
Guardiola, who has won six league titles in a decade with City, expects the closing weeks of the campaign to bring more twists. He also recalled previous seasons when Arsenal surrendered strong leads in 2023 and 2024, allowing City to seize the trophy.
“Many things are going to happen until the end of the season,” he added. “For now it is Newcastle, a rest and after it Leeds. It has always been like that.
“Seventy per cent of the players are new, so they don’t have the experience to live these kinds of situations. An experience is to win tomorrow. It is only one.
“Arsenal were nine points ahead when we had a game in hand, so whenever everybody is on the same games played then after that we will see the difference.”
Meanwhile, Guardiola also addressed the issue of racism in football and society, saying it remains a broader social problem rather than one confined to sport.
His comments came after Vinicius Junior alleged he was racially abused by Gianluca Prestianni during a recent Champions League match involving Real Madrid and Benfica. The game was briefly paused under UEFA protocols following the incident.
“There is a lot of work still to do. It is in society, it is not just in football. Racism is everywhere,” Guardiola said. “You pretend that racism is just for the colour of the skin? How you behave is racism. It’s how you pretend you are better than the other one just for many reasons.”
ELIJAH ADEYEMI
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