Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City must respect Arsenal when they face the Premier League leaders in a seismic title showdown on Sunday.
Guardiola’s side closed the gap on Arsenal to just six points with a 3-0 win at Chelsea.
Second-half goals from Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku ensured City capitalized on Arsenal’s shock 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth 24 hours earlier.
They have a game in hand on Arsenal and victory in their crucial clash at the Etihad Stadium would give them the momentum in the title race.
Arsenal appear to be cracking under the pressure of chasing their first English title since 2004, but Guardiola is aware of the threat posed by the Gunners despite their run of three defeats in four matches in all competitions, including a 2-0 loss to City in the League Cup final.
“They have been the best team in this country, in Europe, so far,” Guardiola said. “Beating Arsenal once is so difficult, imagine beating them twice in a few weeks.
“I would like to say to fans: respect Arsenal a lot, they are an extraordinary team. Come to join us from minute one because the players will do the maximum.”
Arsenal have twice blown substantial leads to City in the title race in 2023 and 2024.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
