Pep Guardiola wants his ‘aggressive’ Manchester City to force Arsenal to earn the Premier League title. City have struggled for consistency since the World Cup, with the manager trying a range of different line-ups and formations in an effort to spark a return to their previous form. Guardiola thinks there has been a change in the last week, and two Arsenal slips have also changed the landscape of the Premier League title race. While much has been made of the issues at the home of the champions, they could go top of the table if they inflict Arsenal’s first home defeat of the campaign on Wednesday. And despite Guardiola praising Arsenal’s hunger and quality as being at the level of being champions, he intends for his squad to make it as difficult as possible to win it.
Pep Guardiola said: “The biggest motivation is that I don’t want to drop the Premier League just because we are not who we are. If they beat us because they are better then this is sport, I’ll be the first to congratulate them, as I’ve always done. But not because we are not there. You want it? OK, fight. Take it. It’s in our hands. We’ll defend this title until the last day. This is what I’d like. To fight to the maximum to try to retain the title. If we don’t, accept it. But we need to give our best. My players have to feel that every day.”
A weakened Arsenal side troubled City at the Etihad in the FA Cup game in January, and while they have failed to win since Guardiola still expects a tough examination when the Blues head down to North London. As he prepares his team to fight for the title, he wants an aggressive performance to ensure that if they do go down it will not be without trying.
Pep Guardiola said: “The pace, they control many aspects very well. In the cup, I felt on the touchline that we had to adjust something, we didn’t do well. We have to be so aggressive, handle the rhythm and pressure. They are going to create pressure on us through the fans, the referee, the players. We have to be so active in many things.”
