Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes Arsenal have a big advantage over his side in the race to win the Premier League title this season.
The Gunners are currently eight points clear of the defending champions, having played a game more. We are in an excellent position, but almost everyone still believes City are the favourites to retain their title.
Guardiola, however, thinks Arsenal have an advantage.
7 Footballers Who Are BETTER Than Their Fathers
Pep Guardiola says Arsenal have one big advantage over Man City in PL title race
Before the start of every season in recent years, Manchester City are the favourites to win the title.
Six months ago, that expectation went through the roof after Guardiola beat multiple other clubs to sign Erling Haaland, who instantly made their team so much better than it already was.
MORE ARSENAL STORIES
After Liverpool’s shocking start to the campaign, many felt City would run away and could even seal the title by November. That, however, hasn’t happened and Arsenal are very much in the race.
Guardiola believes the big advantage for Mikel Arteta’s side is that there is no pressure on them to win the title like there is on Manchester City. That, he feels, could play a big part in the race to go all the way this season.
The Spaniard said, as quoted by Manchester Evening News: “The advantage of Arsenal is he [Arteta] has not to win the Premier League from 20 points in front in November. The way they played against Newcastle again impressed me a lot. They dropped two points but they didn’t drop the quality [with which] they played. This is my feeling.
“I don’t know what is going to happen in the future – I’ve said many times I can’t answer that – but when you play [them] the smell of the history of Arsenal has to be there.
“The advantage of Arsenal and Manchester United right now is nobody has to win the Premier League for 20 points ahead in November like Man City has to – and this is sometimes a big problem.
“With this Arsenal winning all their games and you are eight points behind, it can happen. But at the same time, I see the way we played the last games, and the feeling is good.”
The Insider’s View:
Guardiola has a point – the expectations from Manchester City are a lot higher compared to Arsenal.
However, when you assemble a team of absolute superstars and have the best manager in the world at the helm, it’s only natural that you’re expected to win absolutely everything and blow everyone else out of the water.
This is another reason why Arsenal deserve so much credit for the way we have performed this season. Our squad is incomparable to City’s, but we’re still eight points above them, at the time of writing, which is absolutely incredible.
It’s still difficult to go all the way in the title race because of the lack of depth in our squad, but if Arteta somehow manages to beat his mentor to the Premier League crown, it will be a truly remarkable achievement.
