Pep Guardiola has called for Manchester City fans to help the club in their upcoming clash against Arsenal, with the Manchester outfit not able to “do it alone.”
The Gunners travel to the Etihad on Wednesday in their highly-anticipated Premier League clash, with the travelling side currently sitting top of the table on 75 points.
But City are just five points behind the league leaders, and importantly have two games in hand over Mikel Arteta’s side, who have been slipping of late.
Wednesday’s clash may not decide the final league winner, but it will certainly play a major role in where the trophy will end up this season.
Pep Guardiola ‘cannot do it alone’
Guardiola has now called upon the home support to truly turn up and bring the noise on Wednesday.
“It’s a massive, important game for us,” said Guardiola, as quoted by the official Man City website. “We know winning will give us a step to putting it completely in our hands.
“The Premier League is 11 months working, working, working. And we want to take this opportunity. We cannot do it alone. Hopefully all the Etihad will be full three hours before the game.”
Arsenal the ‘best team in England’
Guardiola was full of praise for the Gunners, who are of course managed by his former apprentice Arteta. But the visitors travel to the Etihad amid a miserable run of form compared to their rampant success earlier in the season.
After smashing Leeds United 4-1 at the beginning of the month, the Gunners have now drawn their last three matches.
They were forced to come from 3-1 down against Southampton to draw 3-3 with two minutes to go in their most recent fixture, while previously they threw away 2-0 leads against both Liverpool and West Ham, with both matches finishing 2-2.
The results come in stark contrast to the club’s earlier form, form which had led them to creating a large gap between Man City in second.
But that gap has been reduced to just five points, and could become just two points if the home side come out on top on Wednesday.
And if the title does indeed come down to goal difference, it is City who are currently in the driving seat in this regard, with a goal difference of 50 compared to Arsenal’s 43.
Guardiola taking nothing for granted
Despite this disappointing run for the Gunners, Guardiola is taking nothing for granted when Arsenal visit Man City under the lights.
“Wednesday is a final against a team that has been the best team in England so far and is five points ahead of us,” added Guardiola.
“Hopefully that day all of Manchester will be Blue and can come to support us because we need that incredible noise from the first minute until the end because I know against which opponent we are going to play.
“I know even though they have drawn the last three games, the way they play in big, big parts of the game, it is almost difficult to stop. You have to read exactly what to do.”
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