Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic has sent an ‘important’ warning to Arsenal about the 2023/24 Premier League title race after seeing Liverpool go top of the table.
The Reds stole the top spot away from the Gunners after Aston Villa dealt Mikel Arteta’s side a 1-0 defeat on Saturday. Liverpool had already moved ahead of Arsenal after edging Crystal Palace. While Manchester City kept the gap close when they pipped Luton Town on Sunday.
Just four points split the top-four, with Aston Villa sitting in third following their win at home to Arsenal. The win kept the Villans above Manchester City after beating the Citizens 1-0 last Wednesday, as well. Liverpool lost their sole Premier League game this season in September.
Mateo Kovacic sends Manchester City’s Premier League title rivals a warning
Losing at Villa Park capped a poor run for Manchester City after the 2022/23 treble-winners failed to win four straight Premier League matches for the first time since April 2017. Luton almost made it five-in-a-row, as well, when Elijah Adebayo (45+1’) put the Hatters in front.
But a quick-fire double by Bernardo Silva (62’) and Jack Grealish (65’) let the Citizens come from behind and win at Kenilworth Road. Manchester City’s resilience proved to Kovacic his team’s character that the 29-year-old feels could take Pep Guardiola’s squad to another title.
“I think we played a very good game, especially in the first half,” Kovacic detailed, via quotes by the Mirror. “But we were missing the goal – we had to fight back and show character. This team has that, we came back from difficult moments and we’re happy with the three points.
“We showed great character in the second half to come back in a tough stadium and it’s a big win for us. It was important but it’s a long race – it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.
“We have many games to play, it’s a long season and a long race. The most important thing is to be there at the end of the season.”
Arsenal won the sprint but not the marathon in the 22/23 Premier League season
Kovacic’s comments on the Premier League title race will serve as a warning to Manchester City’s rivals after losing ground to Arsenal, Aston Villa and Liverpool over recent weeks. The Citizens star’s claims will particularly serve as a reminder for Arsenal after last term’s battle.
Arsenal spent 248 days atop the table during 2022/23 and even held an eight-point lead on multiple occasions over City. Yet their late-season collapse allowed the Etihad Stadium team to secure the title with three games to play. Arsenal won just three of their final nine games.
So, Manchester City sitting four points behind Liverpool through 16 fixtures will not concern the Citizens. Kovacic, who never won the Premier League title with Chelsea before switching sides this June, is therefore right to remind their rivals that it is a marathon and not a sprint.
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