Pep Guardiola has insisted that the Premier League title race is still alive despite Manchester City slipping nine points behind leaders Arsenal, while acknowledging that his team needs Erling Haaland to rediscover his scoring touch.
Speaking after City’s latest setback, Guardiola rejected the idea that Arsenal have already wrapped up the title. He stressed that there is enough of the season remaining for the gap to be reduced, but accepted that his side now has little margin for error. The City manager pointed to previous campaigns in which his team either overturned deficits or were pushed to the final weeks, saying that experience has taught him never to consider a race finished while points are still available.
Guardiola, however, was clear about the scale of the challenge. With Arsenal showing consistency at the top of the table, City must respond quickly to keep pressure on the leaders. He noted that his players are familiar with handling high-stakes situations late in the season, but said that this year’s pursuit demands a strong run of results and improved efficiency in front of goal.
Central to that, Guardiola admitted, is Haaland. The Norwegian striker, who has been a prolific scorer since joining City, has endured a quieter spell in front of goal. Guardiola emphasized that Haaland’s contribution extends beyond scoring, highlighting his movement, pressing and ability to occupy defenders. Even so, he accepted that City’s attacking structure is built in part around Haaland converting chances, and that the team is more dangerous when he is finishing opportunities regularly.
Guardiola also underlined that responsibility does not rest solely on Haaland. He called on the entire squad to support the striker by creating clearer opportunities and sharing the goals, while maintaining defensive stability. The manager reiterated his belief in the group’s mentality and quality, saying their response over the coming fixtures will determine whether the title race tightens.
While Guardiola declined to make predictions about how the standings will look in the coming weeks, he repeated that he does not view the gap to Arsenal as insurmountable. For Manchester City, the message from their manager is straightforward: keep competing, improve in key moments, and rely on Haaland’s goals and the team’s collective effort to keep their title ambitions alive.
