Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said Arsenal remain the best team in England after City’s 3-0 win at Chelsea cut the gap in the Premier League title race to six points
Pep Guardiola said Arsenal remain the best team in England and Europe after Manchester City’s 3-0 win at Chelsea, with his comments increasing the focus on Arsenal’s title lead and the pivotal meeting between the sides on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola used Manchester City’s win at Stamford Bridge to talk up Arsenal rather than shift the spotlight entirely onto his own side. City’s 3-0 victory over Chelsea cut Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League to six points, with Guardiola’s team still holding a game in hand before Sunday’s meeting at the Etihad Stadium. But despite the pressure changing again after Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth, Guardiola’s verdict was clear. Arsenal, in his view, are still the side setting the level.
That is the line that matters most from an Arsenal perspective. After a weekend that tightened the title race, Guardiola chose to emphasise Arsenal’s consistency rather than City’s momentum. “They have been the best team in this country, in Europe, so far. Beating Arsenal once is so difficult, imagine beating them twice in a few weeks. We have to rest. I would like to say to my fans: respect Arsenal a lot, they are an extraordinary team. Come to join us from minute one because the players will do the maximum.” Those remarks framed Arsenal not as a side wobbling under pressure, but as the standard City still believe they have to overcome.
That does not remove the pressure on Arsenal. If anything, it sharpens it. City have cut the gap, they have and still hold a game in hand. Arsenal still lead the table, but the margins are thinner now and the next league game has become the clearest swing point left in the race.
Another factor in Arsenal’s week is the schedule. Manchester City do not play again before hosting Arsenal on Sunday, while Arteta’s side must first try to finish the job against Sporting CP in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday, after taking a 1-0 lead from Lisbon. City have a full week to prepare. Arsenal have a European tie to navigate before the biggest domestic game left on their calendar.
Guardiola’s comments were respectful, but they also served as a reminder of what Arsenal have built and what they still have to protect. Arsenal remain top and still control their own position. The next few days will decide whether Guardiola’s praise looks like a fair summary of the season so far, or the prelude to another twist in the title race.