As Arsenal get set to host Manchester City this Sunday, even Pep Guardiola recognises the uphill battle his team faces.
The Manchester City manager offered high praise for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, highlighting the Gunners’ significant improvements and presenting them as a team to watch in the title race this season.
While acknowledging the importance of the match, he is keen to emphasise that the fixture will not be a defining moment in the title race.
Pep Guardiola stated that the upcoming match against Arsenal this Sunday will be a challenging encounter for Manchester City. However, he also noted that given the match’s timing early in the season, it won’t be a crucial factor in the race for the Premier League title.
With an impressive record of six victories in their initial seven league matches, City are currently leading the Premier League table.
But Arsenal haven’t lost a game yet and are doing well, sitting in third place on the league table, only one point behind Manchester City.
Guardiola also emphasised that Manchester City’s primary focus for the month of October is to secure a spot in the knockout stages of the Champions League, which will then resume in February.
“This will not define a lot,” Guardiola asserted.
“It will be different when they come here at the Etihad – then it will depend on the situations we are in.
“We know where we came from with the Treble. And after that the tendency is to go down.
“We can play better or worse but in general in the training sessions the focus is there.
“After a few games we are top of the league, and we made an incredible step forward in the Champions League.
“In this month, the Champions League is the most important thing by far, until February when it starts again.
“What I want is to arrive here in February when we start the Champions League to be in the competitions and that it’s close. To be close to the top of the league and keep the distance short and make the last 10 games in our competition ‘OK lets do it again.’
“[If you qualify for the Champions League knockout stages] You can focus on the Premier League until it [the Champions League] is back again. We made a big step on Wednesday [with the win at Leipzig], now we have Arsenal, the biggest rival last season.
“In the past they were not there. Now they will stay there.”
Guardiola is certain that Arsenal will once again be strong competitors for the Premier League title. He believes that the team led by Mikel Arteta will not only be tough to beat this Sunday but will also be a significant challenge throughout the season.
“Absolutely [they will be title rivals], along with Liverpool,” Guardiola added.
“To analyse contenders, the idea is the first 10 games. We haven’t played 10; we have to wait but big clubs are always contenders.
“Arsenal is back. When I was a young boy and starting as a manager at Barcelona. I know they fought Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United team.
“Then for many years they were not there but now they’re back.
“It’s a contender yes and when you see in the calendar it says you go to the Emirates (you know) it’s a tougher one.”