Pep Guardiola: If Man City lose to Arsenal then title race will be over

By David Charlesworth, Press Association

Pep Guardiola accepted Manchester City’s Premier League title bid will be finished if they lose to Arsenal in Sunday’s crunch clash between the top-two teams.

Arsenal’s nine-point lead was cut to six after their shock defeat at home to Bournemouth was followed by City emphatically winning at Chelsea last weekend, with Guardiola’s side having a game in hand.

City also defeated Arsenal in last month’s Carabao Cup final although Guardiola insisted the Gunners, who have reached the Champions League quarter-finals without losing a game, cannot be taken lightly.

The Spaniard added that while an Arsenal win at the Etihad Stadium this weekend would end City’s title challenge, there could still be plenty of twists and turns ahead with half a dozen games left to play.

“Obviously, if we lose it’s over,” Guardiola said. “But there is still games to play. The reality is there are seven games left for us in the Premier League and that is the decisive moment.

“Maybe they are not at their best, but they are the only English team in the Champions League and they have been the best so far. We want to challenge them.

“I said today to the players, it is just a football game and we have to approach it like a football game. If you get distracted by emotions, that is how you lose focus.

“The target is to perform well and that is exactly what you have got to do and all the aspects required to challenge a team like Arsenal. The confidence is good, we are ready.”