MANCHESTER: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has called Sunday’s Premier League clash with leaders Arsenal a final, saying defeat would effectively end his side’s title hopes ahead of the much-anticipated showdown at the Etihad Stadium.
City trail Arsenal by six points but have a game in hand, and victory would cut the gap while ramping up the pressure as the race enters its decisive phase.
Guardiola, however, said there was little room for error, acknowledging that anything less than three points would leave his team facing too steep a climb.
“Yes, obviously,” the Spaniard added on whether he sees the game as a final. “If we lose, it is over.”
Despite the fine margins, Guardiola said City are confident, stressing that belief is crucial at this stage of the season.
“If you could buy confidence in a supermarket we would buy it immediately. It is one of the most important aspects,” he told a press conference. (Our confidence) is good. We are ready,” he added.
“A month ago, because we dropped points in moments, I thought we would not be here. (But) we saw the calendar and said, ‘OK, we play Arsenal at home for a chance. It is six points. It is not a short distance, but we have a chance to do it.’ “That is the situation we are in. It depends on our behaviour and everything will be said on Sunday. Our fans have sold out. Everything is perfect to play a game.”
Guardiola said Nico O’Reilly, who scored twice in City’s 2-0 League Cup final win over Arsenal, is fit after he left last weekend’s game at Chelsea clutching his left hamstring.
That thrilling victory was part of a solid City run of form including a 4-0 throttling of Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals. They have not lost a league game since mid-January.
City’s results have begun to sow unease among Arsenal fans.
“If we play like the second half (of the League Cup final) during 95 minutes and they play like the second half, we are going to win. Well maybe not because football is unpredictable,” Guardiola said.
“I know (Arsenal manager) Mikel (Arteta). They are going to adjust something and we have to prepare to do it. In the end, it is more simple. It is how your players individually win the me-against-you.”Meanwhile, Arteta has urged spluttering Arsenal to embrace the “huge privilege” of facing City in a potentially decisive showdown.
“We have earned the right to be in this position and to be challenging, with an opportunity to win against arguably the best team and best manager this league has ever seen,” Arteta told reporters on Friday.
“That is a huge privilege. We see this as a big opportunity for us. Who is more privileged to be in this position? “I don’t know how Pep and Man City are feeling, but I feel very privileged to have earned the right to be in this position to play such a big and great game.”
Elsewhere, rocked by a miserable run of just one win in their last seven league games, Chelsea are on the brink of falling out of the battle for Champions League places.
Liam Rosenior’s sixth-placed side have no margin for error in Saturday’s game against third-placed Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
They are seven points behind United, who lost to Leeds in their last match, and four adrift of fifth-placed Liverpool with six games to play.
A defeat against United would put Chelsea’s Champions League hopes in grave danger, increasing the pressure on boss Rosenior.
On the other hand Liverpool, who were unceremoniously dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, face Everton test. Liverpool aim to make amends in their first appearance at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday.
Fixtures: Saturday (1400 GMT unless stated): Brentford v Fulham (1130), Leeds United v Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United v Bournemouth, Tottenham Hotspur v Brighton and Hove Albion (1630), Chelsea v Manchester United (1900); Sunday (1300 GMT unless stated): Aston Villa v Sunderland, Everton v Liverpool, Nottingham Forest v Burnley, Manchester City v Arsenal (1530); Monday: Crystal Palace v West Ham United
Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2026
