Premier League Title Race Not In Our Hands, Man City Boss Guardiola Admits

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that the Premier League title is no longer in their control.

City currently sit seven points adrift of leaders Arsenal, though they have played one game fewer.

The former champions dropped crucial points in their last outing, a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Nottingham Forest, while Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory against Brighton.

Speaking ahead of their Champions League last-16 clash with Real Madrid, Guardiola emphasised the importance of his players adopting the correct mentality. He stated: “It’s a pity that the Premier League is not in our hands, that was a big drop against Nottingham Forest.”

Guardiola urged his squad to focus on their upcoming challenge: “Don’t think about it much. Just recover, go to Madrid, make a good selection. Hopefully we can behave, I’m not talking win or lose, behave in the way who we are.”

He further explained his philosophy for big matches: “It’s always my focus when we play in the big stages against big teams, it’s not win or lose, it’s be who we are as individuals and as a team. After that you can win or lose, you never know. But that is the main, main target I have in my mind. The players know it, I say it to them all the time.“