Pep Guardiola “would love to be in Arsenal’s place” in the Premier League title race, saying “Manchester City’s experience means nothing” as they aim to catch up with the Gunners.
City have won the Premier League in four of the last five seasons, but Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have had a brilliant campaign that gave them a great chance to win their first league title since the 2003-04 Invincibles.
The Citizens are catching up with the Gunners, who have an eight-point lead at the top, and while City have a game in hand, Guardiola admitted that his team’s vast experience in winning titles may not be enough to overcome the deficit.
“I would like to be in the place of Arsenal,” Guardiola told reporters. “I would rather be Arsenal in the Premier League than the position we have.
“Eight points is a real advantage. Experience means nothing. They won’t lose many points.
“You have to prove it every day. The past is the past. The reality is that tomorrow people won’t think about what you did in the past. You have to show it over and over again, or you’ll have to retire.”
Is yours @NissanSports Goal of the month for March…
Julian Alvarez’s shot against Burnley pic.twitter.com/QERYoa0rqZ
— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 31, 2023
City return from the international break when they host Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, with the Reds in sixth place after outscoring Guardiola’s men to within one point of the title last season.
Asked if City could have suffered a collapse similar to the one Liverpool experienced if they left the Etihad, Guardiola said that a collapse of this magnitude could happen to any club.
“I never thought it wouldn’t happen,” Guardiola said. “Teams win the Premier League a year after relegation. (It) can happen to anyone, to Liverpool, to Chelsea.
“(You) will always try to find a solution to avoid it. If you don’t do well, this can happen.
“What happened to Liverpool can happen, I don’t know why it didn’t happen to us.
“All I know is what you did yesterday doesn’t count tomorrow.”
Guardiola feels that there are only a couple of defeats left before the pressure, and explains: “Here in Manchester, I lived a fairy tale. We have won a lot, and therefore there are fewer storms. (But) the moment we lose, the storm will come.
“When you win, it is safe, comfortable. When you lose, you must find a solution, you must find out why you are not consistent.
“When we haven’t won one, two, three games, that’s normal. You can lose, figure out why it happened. (You can’t) always expect to win every game within 10 years, that’s not a reality.”