Manchester City kept up the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal with a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday, but manager Pep Guardiola warned that the road to their fourth consecutive league title is still steep.
Goals from Josko Gvardiol and Erling Haaland, one in each half, pushed City’s point tally to 79 from 34 games, just one behind Arsenal’s 80 from 35 matches. Despite closing the gap, Guardiola remains cautious about their title hopes, stating that there’s still a “mountain to climb.”
When asked about City’s prospects for the Premier League title, Guardiola said, “It’s far away. Ask me this question when we are top of the league and [have] one game left. With four games remaining, we have to climb a big mountain. It’s in our hands, but if we draw a game, we are not going to win the Premier League.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal maintained their lead by showing resilience in a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur, reinforcing that they are not giving up their position easily. Guardiola commented that he does not expect Arsenal to falter, noting that they will have to focus on their own performance rather than hoping for Arsenal to drop points.
City’s opening goal came from a Kevin De Bruyne corner that Josko Gvardiol nodded into the net in the 32nd minute. Erling Haaland, making his return from a muscle injury, sealed the victory with a strike into the far corner in the 71st minute, bringing his season total to a league-leading 21 goals. He previously shared that record with Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.
City now face Wolverhampton Wanderers in their next league match on Saturday, a crucial fixture in their pursuit of Arsenal.
