"To be honest": Pep Guardiola makes Premier League title claim after Arsenal loss vs Man City
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has spoken about the Premier League title race with Arsenal following the 2-0 win in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
The Cityzens beat the Gunners to secure their first trophy in almost 22 months. They were thoroughly dominant in the second half and deserved to beat Mikel Arteta’s side.
Shortly after the game, Guardiola was posed with plenty of questions in his post-match interview.
One of those was focused on the title race. In response, Guardiola said he would love to be nine points ahead of Arsenal and feels the Gunners have the advantage.
He told Sky Sports: “I would love to be nine points in front to be honest. It’s in their hands. I, personally, need an incredible break. I’m exhausted. And after, we’ll see step by step. Dropping points against West Ham punished us a lot. But, we’ll try.”
Arsenal still have title destiny in their own hands
The Gunners moved nine points clear of Man City at the top of the league after the latter failed to beat West Ham United at the London Stadium this month.
This was the second-straight league game that the Cityzens drew. They played out a 2-2 stalemate against Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium prior to that.
Guardiola’s side still have a game in hand against Crystal Palace, but Arsenal no doubt have their title destiny in their own hands and have everything to lose.
It would take two defeats in their final seven matches to bring Man City back in the mix. Even then, their goal difference could be superior to the Cityzens (currently +7).
The international break has come at the right time for the Gunners. The club have the opportunity to get over the Cup final disappointment before the season run-in.
Arsenal will be in FA Cup quarter-final action at Southampton after the international break.
They will then take on Sporting CP on the road in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final before returning to league duties against Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on April 11.
Man City face Liverpool in the last eight of the FA Cup before a league trip to Chelsea. Arsenal play first in the league, and could be 12 points ahead with a win before the Cityzens tackle the Blues (April 12).
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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