Man City manager Josep Guardiola says he “likes” Declan Rice’s insistence that the title race is not over, despite Arsenal’s loss to his team on Sunday.
City achieved a huge success in the Premier League title race by defeating leaders Arsenal 2-1 last weekend, and can take the lead on goal difference if they beat Burnley in a match that will be broadcast live on Sky Sports on Wednesday night.
As City celebrated after the final whistle sounded at the Etihad Stadium, Rice was caught on video telling his Arsenal team-mates that the race was “not over” despite the shift in momentum, a move praised by Guardiola.
“I love it, I love it,” Guardiola said in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News’ Vinny O’Connor. “That’s why Arsenal exists.
“We saw it (on Monday) and it shows what Declan Rice means. That’s the mentality at Arsenal. We’ve faced that in the Premier League this (past) season and in the Carabao Cup as well, and it shows how competitive they are.”
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Watch for free: Highlights of the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal.
“Otherwise, they wouldn’t have had the kind of season they had in the Premier League and went unbeaten in the Champions League, not just Mikel[Arteta]but the type of players who follow this message.”
“And in the bad moments, they have the resiliency to say, we’re there, we’re there. This is a good example for us of what kind of battle we’re going to face in six, five games for a title.”
Asked if he had shown his players a video clip of Rice saying “it’s not over yet”, Guardiola said: “They know exactly who they’re going to play against in five games for them and six for us.”
“If people think just because we beat them that the title race is over, Declan Rice has shown us they’re there.”
Pep: Proud of Haaland for not being ‘artistic enough’ to get Gabriel sent off
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Jamie Carragher has spoken out about the controversial incident in which Arsenal’s Gabriel avoided a red after attempting to headbutt Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
One flashpoint in Sunday’s heated and entertaining match was the Arsenal defender avoiding a red card for an apparent headbutt on City’s winner Erling Haaland.
Gabriel was not penalized for tilting his head at a City forward and was spared a three-match ban for violent conduct, which could have damaged Arsenal’s chances of lifting the title. Gabriel and Haaland were given yellow cards instead.
Guardiola compared the incident to the two red cards handed out to his City team since he arrived in 2016. That was before Nolito was given a red card for a headbutt against Bournemouth in his first year in charge, and Rodri was given his marching orders for a similar incident against Morgan Gibbs-White in 2023.
When asked about the Gabriel incident, Guardiola appeared to suggest that Haaland had been “punished” for not being a “great artist” and for continuing to stand after an apparent headbutt.
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Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd debate whether Gabriel should have been sent off in Arsenal’s match against Manchester City.
“I wouldn’t play that game now,” the City manager said. “I don’t have much sympathy for the refereeing community in this country, so what am I going to say?
“I know that Erling acted the same way as he did. I know the experience with Nolito in the first season and I remember perfectly Morgan Gibbs-White and Rodri at Nottingham Forest. They both got three-match bans because their opponents were big artists. Erling hasn’t done that.”
“But this is the referee’s decision. I’m really happy to get another yellow card (for the team)!”
Asked about pundits asking Haaland to be more dramatic in such situations, Guardiola replied: “That’s good! The referees still believe that Jeremy Doku is a diver, even though there is no other diver on the planet. They always believe that he is diving. Now the pundits are encouraging him to do it!”
“Erling behaved himself. He’s an extraordinary player. I’m really proud of what Erling has achieved.”
Is Pep thinking about goal difference?
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If City beat second-bottom Burnley on Wednesday night, they would be level on points with Arsenal, but would go top of the table thanks to superior goal difference – a big talking point in the final week of the season.
“It’s just a matter of winning games, just winning games,” Guardiola said when asked how much City could win in important games in the final week.
“The match determines how you play and how many goals you score. Of course you have to try to (score) as many as possible. But the goal is to win the match. Winning 1-0? Doesn’t matter. That’s the goal.”
“Then if we’re creating opportunities and momentum, let’s do it. Don’t speculate, try to execute on it. That’s the mindset of what we have to do.”
“Because sometimes you say, ‘Oh, we have to score a ton of goals.’ And maybe the opponent creates 72 transitions and scores five goals. Goal difference is about scoring and not conceding. It’s not just one team.”
