iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
Stand-in skipper Jitesh believes the absence of key England players will not affect his side's morale on Sunday
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Premier League: Guardiola hails 'incredible' rivals as title race goes down to the wire
The Man City manager praises the club's medical department and reveals that there are no worries on the injury front ahead of Saturday's Fulham encounter
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola celebrates after a match. - Reuters File
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola knows all about Premier League title battles that go down to the wire and said his side's main rivals this season Arsenal were playing at the same level as Liverpool did when they pushed them in recent races.
Defending champions City are a point behind Arsenal in the Premier League but have a game in hand on the North London club who have only two matches left.
Arsenal faded away in the title race last year but they have been at City's heels this season, just as Juergen Klopp's Liverpool were in the 2021-22 and 2018-19 campaigns -- where City pipped the Merseyside club to the title by a single point.
"They have been the same level of Liverpool those years. The same level, both teams (Liverpool and Arsenal). They have both been incredible," Guardiola told reporters ahead of Saturday's league trip to Fulham.
When asked if he would support Manchester United this weekend when their city rivals host Arsenal, Guardiola smiled and said: "I am a Man City fan and I will try to beat Fulham, that is my only concern."
Guardiola said there were no worries on the injury front, praising the club's medical department, but rued the fact that they were no longer in the Champions League, saying he did not see the extra rest as beneficial in the title race.
"I would have preferred to be in the Champions League semi-final, but congratulations to both teams who are in the final," he said.
There were concerns all was not well between Guardiola and top scorer Erling Haaland after the striker was unhappy with his substitution following his four-goal haul against Wolverhampton Wanderers last week, but the manager brushed it aside.
Haaland is leading the race for the Golden Boot, for most goals in the season, with 25 strikes, four ahead of Chelsea's Cole Palmer.
"He loves to score, like all strikers, like any striker. But his contribution since he's been here has been magnificent," Guardiola said.
"The numbers are here. Not just the numbers, many other things."
ALSO READ
More news from Sports
Stunning win over American Tommy Paul sets up Italian Open title clash against against Alexander Zverev
Pep Guardiola's all-conquering Blues go into the final day of the season on Sunday with a two-point cushion over the Gunners thanks to an eight-game winning streak
Brazilian Fabio Lima strikes twice in Dubai club's emphatic 4-0 victory at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain
Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods were among the stars packing their golf bags and leaving the famed Kentucky course after a testing second round on Friday
Top players can compartmentalize their lives, shut out all other outside distractions and can just focus on their game, says renowned golf coach Peter Cowen
The maverick West Indies' wicketkeeper-batsman hit eight sixes in his 29-ball 75 to set-up a comfortable win over the pre-tournament favourites
Bengaluru needs to win the match by at least 18 runs if they score a minimum of 200 runs batting first or win in 18.1 overs if they are chasing 200