MANCHESTER (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Manchester City and Arsenal have already played one final, the League Cup final, and Haaland and his teammates prevailed. But Sunday’s match at the Etihad , even if it doesn’t directly involve a trophy, has the same value because “if we lose, it’s over. But with any other result, considering the fact that they didn’t beat Bournemouth, it would still be wide open with six more games to play even though we have a terrible schedule with Everton and Bournemouth away and Aston Villa at home in their last game.” Pep Guardiola knows full well what’s at stake in two days: City are six points behind league leaders Arsenal but have a game in hand, and beating the Gunners in the direct clash would allow his team to play until the very end. “It’s positive to still be in the running, but we still have to improve. The first half against Chelsea wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. The first 30 minutes against Liverpool weren’t good. In the first 30 minutes of the final against Arsenal, they were better. But you can’t expect to be perfect for 90-95 minutes against teams like this. It’s a question of confidence, and confidence can’t be bought at the supermarket. The reality is that there are seven games left in the Premier League, and this is the decisive moment.”
“But we’re ready,” Guardiola assured. “A month ago, after dropping points at certain times, I thought we wouldn’t be there. Even in January, when we played against Sunderland, Chelsea, and Brighton and didn’t win a single one, I thought we’d missed an opportunity. But now we have a chance. This is the situation we’re in. It’s never over until it’s over, and we’re still here.” As for Arsenal, the Catalan manager has only words of praise. “People are very demanding, but I enjoy watching them play. I learn a lot in many areas. They’re strong in all areas: in duels, in physicality. They’re very aggressive and strong on set pieces. They reached the Champions League semifinals and were top of the Premier League all season. I’m proud to still be there competing with them. Unfortunately, not in the Champions League, but we won the League Cup, we’re in the FA Cup semifinals, and we’re still here. We’ll see what happens. Arsenal may not be at their best, but they’ve been the best so far, and we want to challenge them. The important thing is not to get distracted by emotions or other things, because that way you lose concentration. The goal is to play well, and that’s exactly what you have to do in every aspect to challenge teams like Arsenal.”
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
