Pep Guardiola responds to Declan Rice title-race claim

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“I love that,” Guardiola said. “That’s why Arsenal are there, it shows what Declan Rice means. It’s the Arsenal mentality, I know that. We face them in the Premier League this season, in the Carabao Cup, how competitive they are.

“Otherwise you cannot do the season they have done, or the season they have done so far. In the Premier League being there, in the Champions League being unbeaten so far.

“You have these types of – of course, Mikel [Arteta] – but the type of players that follow the message and be resilient in the bad moments. Still we are there, we are there, we are there. And that is a good example for us, that’s what we’re going to face.”

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The Arsenal players certainly shouldn’t be giving up at this point. The difference between the two teams with five games remaining is just one goal, and the Gunners can throw the pressure back onto City with wins in their next two matches at home to Newcastle United and Fulham.

City don’t play in the Premier League until after those two games, so Mikel Arteta’s side have the chance to open up a six-point gap before their rivals are next in action.

City would have two games in hand, of course, but they’d need to win them. Two wins from the next two could start to spark some doubts in their minds, whereas more dropped points would only provide inspiration.

So Rice is right, it’s not done.