The unknown awaits a host of Manchester City players across the run-in

“Nico [O’Reilly] it’s the first time he’s really there and Antoine [Semenyo] arrived a month ago, Marc Guéhi arrived weeks ago. There are lots of players who are going to play and try to win the first Premier League in my life.”

“How we behave? I don’t know. My target is ‘guys, this will happen tomorrow and we will try to do this. I will try to convince them and say ‘let’s go’. That’s the way the game has to be played. Many things we cannot control.”

Manchester City can show today against Arsenal that they are up for the challenge of the run-in.

Pep Guardiola’s assessment of this Manchester City side is right on the money. Yes, there are a host of leaders in this City side who have been down this road before. Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Phil Foden, and Erling Haaland nust to name a few know what it takes to ultimately be successful in a Premier League title race. However, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Abdukodir Khusanov, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly, Rayan Cherki, and Antoine Semenyo and others haven’t been down this path before. They are experiencing the pressure that comes with chasing the Premier League title for the first time.

What looks good for this Manchester City side is how they have played in their past three matches. This group won their first trophy together when they beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final. They handled the pressure of big matches to see off Liverpool and Chelsea emphatically. Today they have another opportunity to rise to the occasion in a top-of-the-table Premier League match against Arsenal. We have seen Pep Guardiola’s side dominate these types of matches in seasons gone by, especially against Arsenal. It is now up to a new group of City players to do the same today. If they can beat Arsenal today, it will set them up in this season’s title race and fill them with belief for the seasons ahead.

Final thoughts.

Manchester City look to have clicked into gear this season. But, as Pep Guardiola has pointed out, this is a new-look City team. The majority of Manchester City’s players are experiencing a Premier League title race for the first time. At the moment, the signs are positive that they are handling that pressure well. Today’s match against Arsenal could provide another clue as to how far along Pep Guardiola’s new-look side is. That answer may be staring everyone in the face come the final whistle at the Etihad.