Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has praised Arsenal once again ahead of Wednesday’s showdown in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium. The game will serve as a title decider as the winner of that game looks to be in pole position for the title. At the press conference leading up to the game, Guardiola was able to explain the current performances of both clubs and the Spaniard expects a victory from his own club.
Arsenal only lost seven points in the first half of the season and seemed unstoppable. In recent weeks, however, the London engine has been showing some difficulties and the last three games in a row weren’t won by The Gunners. Meanwhile, Man City are in absolute top form and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League at the expense of Bayern Munich and reached the final of the FA Cup last weekend by beating Sheffield United.
According to Guardiola, his team’s top form mainly has to do with the mindset and the team plays as if every game is a final, something Guardiola says was also the case with Arsenal at the start of the season. “I’ve said many weeks ago, getting towards the end of the season we know if we lose games the situation will be over”, Guardiola said.
“When you live in these kind of situations, in October, November, you can’t have that feeling. Especially after winning back-to-back Premier Leagues. For our first Premier League, we started the season like every game was a final, every game was a final. I remember it perfectly, seeing it from the outside that Arsenal had that feeling this season, every game is a final. This season for us, after back-to-back Premier Leagues, every game wasn’t a final at the start.”
“But now in the last few months with the Champions League, FA Cup, Premier League, we see it like that because the end is really close. Now we know exactly what we are playing for. It’s many months to get to this point, and now we have the chance in our hands. Of course it is in theirs too because if they win, it depends on them – but if we do, then the destiny is up to us with seven games to go. It’s really important, not decisive because there’s many tough games left for both sides. But we cannot deny how important it is.”
