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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was not drawn into handing over any advice to his Premier League title rival and former colleague Mikel Arteta.
The North London side currently hold a five-point lead over Manchester City, who have a game in hand at present. However, the new calendar year initially swung heavily in the Gunners’ favour after City were held to a 0–0 draw at Sunderland and a 1–1 result against Chelsea.
Mikel Arteta’s side were thus allowed to open up a healthy advantage, which quickly narrowed in mid-February when Arsenal dropped points in a 2–2 draw at bottom-placed Wolves and losing 2-3 at home to Manchester United.
City capitalised with a five-match winning streak in all competitions, and most recently a gritty 2–1 victory over Newcastle via a brace from Nico O’Reilly. While Arsenal responded emphatically with a 1-4 demolition of Tottenham, Pep Guardiola’s side remain many fans’ favourite leading up to a crunch head-to-head meeting at the Etihad Stadium in late April.
The two clubs have also found out their European fate this week, as Arsenal were handed arguably a smoother path starting with Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 16, while City must navigate a double-header against Real Madrid.
Both teams are also still alive in the FA Cup, and are already set to face off in the Carabao Cup Final in late March, in a clash that many believe could have psychological repercussions domestically for both the victors and losers.
Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s latest Premier League battle, which comes at Elland Road against Daniel Farke’s in-form Leeds United side, Pep Guardiola was quizzed on whether he had any advice for Mikel Arteta when it comes to the pressure of chasing a first league title.
“I don’t remember. I’m not here to give advices to Mikel [Arteta],” Guardiola insisted without too much hesitation.
On whether he expects another race right until the very end of the season, and perhaps how he expects the task to pan out in the coming weeks and months, Guardiola said, “I’ve said many times, I would like to tell you, but I don’t know.
“When we won these incredible runs [against] Liverpool many years ago, I didn’t know it at that time before it happened, and I don’t know now. It’s Elland Road, and that’s all that I’m concerned [about] in my mind.”
Manchester City have been significantly boosted in the team news department in recent weeks, and their latest returnee sees Jeremy Doku resume first-team training after a long-standing recovery process from a muscular problem.
The Belgian winger is a crucial cog in Guardiola’s attacking output, and his relentless ability to beat his opposing full-back will be particularly useful in a string of away matches that now loom for Manchester City, including trips to Newcastle, Real Madrid, and West Ham.