Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola talked about his side’s title chances after their 2-1 win at Liverpool in the Premier League.
19:58, 08 Feb 2026
Pep Guardiola said that Manchester City will continue to ‘breathe down the neck of Arsenal’ as they hope to build on a rousing win at Anfield. The players celebrated jubilantly with supporters after two late goals earned them their first win in front of fans at the ground since 2003, and it also transformed the feel of their title hopes.
Bernardo Silva said after the game that City would have been out of the title race with a defeat. Matheus Nunes won a late penalty that Erling Haaland converted and Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a top stop even later in injury time to preserve the win.
Guardiola does not like judging his team on results or making sweeping judgments about their season based on one particular game, but he was particularly happy with the performance of his team at a ground where he has endured so much pain. Whether it is enough to catch Arsenal is uncertain but the manager thinks this City team has a lot of room to grow in the final 13 games.
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“I don’t buy that product, when everyone (says) before ‘the title race is over, City is not going to win today’. Because we won it’s fine,” he said. “It’s the same team. The first half against Spurs was magnificent, the top level, could be 0-3 or 0-4, but at the end we drew because we are not… you know that? But in Newcastle we were much, much better than at Spurs, today we were much better.
“I have a feeling that improving a little bit will not be enough to compete against Arsenal but still we have the margin (to improve). We have to (play them) at home, of course we have to beat them. And I’ve said, 13 games in the Premier League, from my point of view, from my little experience, is a lot of time, a lot. It’s proper.
“When you go into the last games playing any team in a relegation battle, it’s a proper game, football game. Because they live to survive and they have long weeks to prepare, (whereas) you come from FA Cup, you come from Carabao Cup, you come from the Champions League, that makes a lot of influence.”
City were able to take confidence from their midweek win over Newcastle that booked their place in the Carabao Cup final, yet at the same time it gave them less time to prepare for their Premier League game. Arsenal are also deep in four competitions and Guardiola thinks that schedule could have an impact on the title race as City look to keep the pressure on the league leaders and cut the six-point gap.
“Liverpool was all week preparing that game, we played three days ago against Newcastle. And Newcastle played on Wednesday, travelled and arrived at 2am in Newcastle I guess, Friday there and Saturday against Brentford, and Brentford have all week to prepare that game.
“That makes an influence in the title race. It’s why being nine points would be more difficult. All we can do is breathe down the neck of Arsenal and being there, try if they go asleep and use it.”
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