Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola stated that his side couldn’t afford to drop points as table-toppers Arsenal continue to extend their lead at the helm of the English top-flight.
Mikel Arteta and Co. look to end a two-decade title drought for the Gunners, and the Arsenal boss’s former mentor said his men shouldn’t expect any quarter in the title race. Arsenal have a 7-point lead over third-placed City, who are one point behind second-placed Chelsea.
“We cannot lose games, absolutely — that is the truth,” City manager Guardiola said on Friday.
“They are so strong and winning games, and winning games in a way where they are so solid, like we had in the past with Liverpool against us and they were not going to drop many points.
“That’s why you have
to be up there and this is what we will try to do,” the Spaniard added.
Guardiola reflected on his side’s defeats to Newcastle in the PL and German outfit Bayer Leverkusen in the UCL and touched upon the side’s risk-averse approach.
“We made a really good game, we created more in Newcastle than previous seasons and it was quite good, but we lost.
“Now we have to regain our momentum to start winning games and being there because there is still so long in the season.”
“We didn’t try. In football when you play on the green you have to try things and we didn’t try.”
“I think they played not to make mistakes, not to play to do something, that is so difficult. In football you have to play offensive and you have to try… they played to be safe.”
“I have a lot of confidence in them, still right now I have a lot. I have a huge value in what they are as football players, and that maybe is higher than themselves.”
“As a fan I would not cheer my team, playing in the way we played. I don’t blame (them), I blame myself. Our fans make the effort to come to see us and we are incredibly grateful, and I know the stadium because I’ve been here for many, many years.
“If you do what you have to do, they are there, and this is what you have to try to do.”
