Pep Guardiola warns Manchester City that a loss against Arsenal could end their title hopes. City aims to reduce Arsenal's lead to three points in this crucial Premier League match.
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âIf we donât win, itâs overâ â Pep Guardiola sends blunt Arsenal message to Manchester City squad
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has previewed Sundayâs monumental Premier League clash with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
City can cut down Arsenalâs lead at the top of the table to three points with a fourth successive win in all competitions this weekend, having claimed huge confidence in the title race last week by taking full advantage of the Gunnersâ slip-up against Bourmemouth.
The Blues left Stamford Bridge with a 3-0 win over Chelsea courtesy of second-half goals from Nico OâReilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku and momentum is firmly with City as they prepare to welcome former assistant coach Mikel Arteta to a roaring Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola press conference: Nico OâReilly and Ruben Dias injury updates ahead of Arsenal clash
Speaking in a press conference on Friday afternoon, Guardiola discussed at length the challenge of facing Arsenal as City continue their quest for a domestic treble after bowing out of the Round of 16 in March.
Pep Guardiola stated that if Manchester City does not win against Arsenal, 'it's over' for their title hopes.
A win for Manchester City would cut Arsenal's lead at the top of the table to three points.
Manchester City secured a 3-0 victory against Chelsea, boosting their confidence ahead of the clash with Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta, the former assistant coach of Manchester City, will return to face them as the manager of Arsenal.


Rishabh Pant is confirmed fit to play for LSG against PBKS today in IPL 2026.
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On whether the pressure is off Manchester City a little and more on Arsenal, Guardiola said: âWe need that pressure to compete good against that team. They have to know that if we donât win, itâs over. They know it. We talked about that. Every game we knew if we donât win, we donât win the Premier League.
âWe play with that, but at the end, play that game, you have to do something. What is the pressure? What does it mean if we donât win? We have to do, we have to move our legs, we have to think about it. Whatâs happened? We have to use our brain in the moment, and this is what we have to do. Of course thereâs pressure.
âItâs the same with the final at Carabao Cup, FA Cup against Southampton in one weekâs time. If we donât win, we are out. Yeah, I know, but we have to do something. What do we have to do?
âThis is why we work here, almost every day, to try to let them feel that doing that, how we attack in the final third, when they defend low block, they defend the striker so, so deep, what do you have to do to avoid the transitions, what do you have to do in different aspects that every different rival tells you, this is only Iâm concerned.
âI donât want to be distracted. If we lose, I will shake hands with Mikel (Arteta) and I will pray they lose the next five games to be champion, but I think itâs not going to happen. So, try to win our game on Sunday.â
Manchester City vs Arsenal (Premier League): Match Preview, Team News, Head to Head, How to Watch
On the atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium when Arsenal come to town on Sunday, Guardiola added: âIt happened this season (a) few times, so of course theyâre going to help us because the team â except last season â all the time the team has been there playing good, bad, winning or losing, but always has been there and Sunday, weâll be there.
âWe are looking forward to starting and doing our best. I know the people are looking forward to, itâs a perfect Sunday, 4:30pm against Arsenal â so what else can we ask for?â
Arsenal have never won at the Etihad Stadium with Guardiola as Manchester City manager. âDonât ask that question. You know what happens, never, never happens, right? Next,â the Catalan said in a defiant refusal of such records.
On whether that poor Arsenal record helps with confidence, the 55-year-old said: âMy confidence is how weâre going to train, how the players can believe what I believe, what you have to do. This is the confidence.
âThe confidence for the six Premier Leagues that we won in the past, or the titles, the last one, the Carabao (Cup) against them (Arsenal), that does not give you the confidence to win the next game. Because Edersonâs and Kevin (De Bruyneâs) and Gundo (Ilkay Gundoganâs) and Kyle (Walkerâs) and Manu (Akanjiâs) and a lot, a lot of players that made a lot of things here and are not here anymore.
âMost of them are new and weâll see. (Rayan) Cherki, for example, (has) never won the Premier League. How is he going to behave in that position? Gigio (Gianluigi Donnarumma) never has been here. And Khusa (Abdukodir Khusanov) has never been here. Nico (OâReilly) is his first time, first season, like he is really, really, really there.
Predicted Starting Line-Up: Manchester City vs Arsenal (Premier League)
âAntoine (Semenyo) arrived a month ago. Marc Guehi arrived weeks ago. There are a lot of players that are going to play, or maybe (think), âWe can win the first Premier League in my lifeâ. How we will behave, I donât know.
âMy target is, âGuys, this is going to happen tomorrow, weâll try to do this and convince them and say, Yes, letâs goâ. That is the way the game must be played. After that, many things you cannot control.â
Guardiola is not expected to make many changes to his starting XI from Chelsea last week, though John Stones could return to the matchday squad after returning to training on Friday â having recovered from a calf issue he sustained on England duty in March.