Victory still worries, Pep Guardiola makes a surprising comment about the race with Arsenal

The victory over Newcastle allowed Man City to close in on the league leaders, yet Pep Guardiola stayed reserved regarding their chances to pull ahead in the crucial stage.

Man City continued to apply strong pressure on Arsenal in the Premier League title race after a 2-1 win against Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium. Nico O’Reilly was the standout player, scoring both goals for the hosts, helping Pep Guardiola’s squad extend their impressive form and keep pace with the leading group.

This win leaves Man City just two points behind Arsenal before their rival faces Tottenham in the North London derby. It also marks the third consecutive domestic victory for the Blues, contrasting with Arsenal’s recent slump, having won only two of their last seven matches—making the title race more unpredictable than ever.

Nevertheless, Pep maintains a cautious stance when assessing his team’s chances. He said after the match: “Right now, everything looks positive, though I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We have extended our lead by two points over Aston Villa, two points over Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification, and today we got closer to the top spot—that’s a very good sign.”

The Spanish coach emphasized that the congested schedule will make the competition more complicated in the upcoming period. “But I assure you that many things will happen. I have a feeling we won’t win every remaining game. I don’t know about Arsenal, but I think we can’t win them all.”

He also pointed out the challenges ahead, including multiple simultaneous competitions and the risk of injuries. “There will be the FA Cup, Champions League, constant traveling. The Carabao Cup final is different because of the international break, but there are still many matches ahead, injuries will occur, and many other things will happen.”

Furthermore, Pep Guardiola believes the most important thing now is to maintain focus rather than look too far ahead. “The best approach is to relax now and concentrate on the Leeds match, then take it from there. Ultimately, everything depends on our quality and how we perform—we have to keep improving.”

In conclusion, the Spanish coach admitted that the performance against Newcastle was not perfect. “Was it a perfect game against Newcastle? No. Was it an ideal match? Also no. But we played as a team, exactly how you need to at this stage of the Champions League and Premier League when facing teams like Newcastle. That’s what we had to do.”