Guardiola hails ‘incredible’ rivals as title race goes down to the wire

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola knows all about Premier League title battles that go down to the wire and said his side’s main rivals this season Arsenal were playing at the same level as Liverpool did when they pushed them in recent races.

Defending champions City are a point behind Arsenal in the Premier League but have a game in hand on the North London club who have only two matches left.

Arsenal faded away in the title race last year but they have been at City’s heels this season, just as Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool were in the 2021-22 and 2018-19 campaigns — where City pipped the Merseyside club to the title by a single point.

“They have been the same level of Liverpool those years. The same level, both teams (Liverpool and Arsenal). They have both been incredible,” Guardiola told reporters ahead of Saturday’s league trip to Fulham.

When asked if he would support Manchester United this weekend when their city rivals host Arsenal, Guardiola smiled and said: “I am a Man City fan and I will try to beat Fulham, that is my only concern.”