Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has let out a rallying war cry to his troops ahead of their top of the table clash with Arsenal in the Premier League.
Master and student will do battle at the Etihad when City welcome Arsenal for a chance at closing the points gap and overtaking them on goal difference in the title race.
Three points separate both sides in the league but with City’s better scoring run, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be worried and hopeful that his team will be able to hold fast and leave his former stomping grounds with their lead intact.
He faces a tough task, however, and his old boss is not looking to take any prisoners on the night as implied in his recent comments to the media.
Speaking ahead of the game in his pre-match press conference, the former Barcelona manager said: “The biggest motivation is that I don’t want to drop the Premier League just because we are not who we are.
“If they beat us because they are better then this is sport, I’ll be the first to congratulate them, as I’ve always done. But not because we are not there. You want it? OK, fight. Take it. It’s in our hands.
“We’ll defend this title until the last day. This is what I’d like. To fight to the maximum to try to retain the title. If we don’t, accept it, but we need to give our best. My players have to feel that every day.”
City will go into the match with good feelings after their emphatic 3 – 1 victory last time out. Arsenal, on the other hand, will come in angry after refereeing errors cost them three valuable points against Brentford.
Guardiola is expecting this from his former protégé’s side. “They will be dangerous. When you drop points and you’re not used to dropping points, the next game you have something special,” he said.
“Watching the two games, I don’t have the feeling that they dropped the way they’re playing.
“I think Arsenal have reached a level that means that the opponent always adapts to who they are. When you arrive at that level it is because you are a good team and you have reached the level that you need to be champions. I have the feeling that Arsenal have got it this season.”
Guardiola may go into the game without his top scorer but with his team back firing on all cylinders, he hopes that it will be a good run for them against Arsenal.
