Pep Guardiola says a single small mistake in Manchester City's final three matches could cost them an historic fourth consecutive Premier League title.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Man City
MCI
|
38 | +62 | 91 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
38 | +62 | 89 |
Man City trail leaders Arsenal by one point, having played one match fewer than Mikel Arteta's Gunners.
Guardiola's side could return to the top of the table by beating Fulham in Saturday's early match, before Arsenal visit Manchester United on Sunday. But City's manager knows there is no margin for error.
“If we play Fulham after or before, we have to win and Arsenal knows they have to win,” said Guardiola. “And not just the starting XI. The staff, the players, the fans, everyone knows you cannot make one little mistake because you will lose the Premier League. They know it, we know it, what happened in Liverpool in the past.
“We arrived [against Wolves on Saturday] and the players knew, ‘Guys if we don’t win, ciao, ciao, bye bye, next season we see each other!’ It’s not complicated. It doesn’t matter if it’s before or after [Arsenal play their match].
“Hopefully we win against Fulham. [Arsenal] will play in Old Trafford, but [United] play for Europa League. But I said if we don’t win [against Wolves] we won’t be champions, so when that happens it’s easier because you see the level of consistency.
“Since the winter break, the way [Arsenal] are playing, it’s not the fact that they are winning, it’s the way they play, so you smell that they are not going to lose in the games they have left. They are not going to.
“Fulham has been tough for us. Spurs we have never won [away] before in the Premier League. The situation we are in, it will not be easy. Three games, it is in our hands. If we win the games, we will be champions."
Erling Haaland, who scored four goals in Saturday's 5-1 thrashing of Wolves, is confident City can go on to claim a fourth successive Premier League title.
“Look at the mentality of the club and what we’ve been doing for the last two years - even before that,” said Haaland. “It’s a lot. The mentality in this club is unbelievable. I am confident. We have to keep going, push and focus.”
Arteta ready for final push
With only two matches left to play, Arsenal boss Arteta is relishing the opportunity in front of his side.
"I’m very excited," said Arteta. "We have done it for nine and a half months now, so it’s two weeks to go. We really want to get it done. We are closer to where we were yesterday and hopefully we can bring that title here."