Guardiola warns Arsenal that City are "close" to proving why they're champions
Pep Guardiola says Manchester City are ready to show just why they are champions in Wednesday's title showdown with Arsenal.
There may still be a third of the season left to play after Wednesday night's encounter between first and second, but it could go a long way to deciding the destiny of the title. Leaders Arsenal have dropped five points in their last two games, the first sign of a wobble from Mikel Arteta's leaders, who have sat atop the Premier League table for most of the season.
Against that backdrop, Guardiola says his players have regained their focus in time to overhaul the Gunners to win a third straight title and underline their status as the best team in the land.
“They are more focused, all of them,” said Guardiola. “When we talk, sometimes you'd see distracted faces, but my feeling is that everyone is more focused.
“When you see everybody focused or committed when we talk and with what we have to do, that doesn't guarantee success. But there is a rhythm, a feeling, that we try to do our best. I'm comfortable with what I'm watching.”
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Much has been made of City's perceived demise this season, given they are not running away with the title like they have done in previous seasons under Guardiola. But Guardiola said there is little wrong with City and claimed they are only being scrutinised for supposed frailties because of Arsenal's impressive title charge.
(Man City)“I would say the mentality is there,” said Guardiola. “We're second in the table, in the FA Cup, in the Champions League again. We didn't drop much.
“The difference is because we had a team that made 50 points in the first leg. When that happens, hats off and try to learn to catch up. I don't have the feeling that everything was a mess. We're close and in moments we're doing really really well.
“It’s quite similar to previous seasons when we’ve won. I remember, when we had back-to-back, the next season was the worst. It’s impossible to win two leagues and every day be perfect.
“But I have to be there to let them know we have to get back, otherwise the opponents get better and have a big dream to win something that hasn’t happened for a long time.
“Arsenal has an incredible history, bigger than us in terms of titles. But not recently. They have something special that we don’t have, because we won it recently.
“We have to find another trick, other ways to find the fire as a team and individually, to say that we can still do it. If we didn’t have that, we wouldn’t be second. We’d be far, far away. But we're still there.”
Guardiola does expect City to face a backlash from Arsenal, after Arteta's side lost at Everton and could only draw at home to Brentford, to let City back into the title race.
Energetic duo Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta looked be pointing to the 'emergency exits' (Getty Images)“They will be dangerous,” said Guardiola. “When you drop points and you're not used to dropping points, in the next game you have something special. Watching Arsenal's last two games, I don't have the feeling that they've dropped in the way they're playing.
“I think they've reached a level that means the opponent always adapts to who you are. When you arrive at that level, it's because you're a good team.
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“When you don't change the way you play, it's because you've reached the level you need to be champions. I have the feeling that Arsenal have got it this season.”
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