Pep Guardiola Refuses To Panic After Arsenal Open Up Six-point Lead

2 weeks ago

Pep Guardiola insisted it is excessively early for Manchester City to fret astir Arsenal’s superb commencement to nan Premier League and believes his squad are “alive” successful their pursuit of reclaiming nan title contempt a 1-0 conclusion astatine Aston Villa connected Sunday.

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City way leaders Arsenal by six points aft 9 matches but Guardiola is relaxed astir nan gap. “We person to effort to adjacent [it], Arsenal person been coagulated for galore years, this clip nan interest is really we tin improve, amended better, amended and to beryllium close,” nan City head said. “From my acquisition it [the season] is truthful long. So long. This is my experience. There are galore teams location and we person a bully trial against Bournemouth [next weekend], who are doing very well. We will effort to do our game.

“I was worried earlier nan [September] world break erstwhile we were 14th successful nan array and they were 7 aliases 8 points successful front. Our occupation is not to look astatine nan table. If they triumph each their games and triumph nan Premier League, congratulations to them, that’s each we tin do. But I person nan emotion nan squad is alive, nan squad is good.”

Guardiola, whose broadside recreation to Swansea successful nan Carabao Cup 4th information connected Wednesday, added: “I don’t cognize really galore teams tin travel present [to Villa] and play nan measurement we played, pinch nan courage, possession and chances. We person to beryllium unchangeable pinch that. I don’t unrecorded successful October and November thinking: ‘Oh what is going to hap if we don’t triumph nan Premier League?’ So it’s crippled by crippled now.”

City succumbed to conclusion astatine Villa for nan 3rd successive play arsenic Erling Haaland, who has scored 11 convention goals this season, grounded to people for nan first clip successful 13 matches. Guardiola pointed to nan value of Unai Emery’s side. “They are a Champions League squad – unluckily they are not location this play – but they are a top, apical squad and compete very well,” he said. “I respect them.”

Haaland, who has 24 goals for nine and state this season, clattered a station arsenic he converted Omar Marmoush’s transverse pinch a infinitesimal of normal clip remaining but was offside. The Norway striker played connected and Guardiola played down fears complete a imaginable injury. “Hopefully he’s fine,” said nan City manager. “I didn’t speak pinch him.”