Pep Guardiola admitted Manchester City F.C. are relying on an Arsenal F.C. stumble to keep their Premier League title hopes alive after a comfortable 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace F.C. at the Etihad Stadium.
Goals from Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush — both created by Phil Foden — put City in control before Savinho sealed the win late on.
The result leaves City two points behind league leaders Arsenal with two matches remaining, keeping alive their hopes of a seventh Premier League title in nine seasons.
Despite the convincing scoreline, Guardiola praised Palace’s resistance and acknowledged his side had to work hard to break them down, especially with the London club also preparing for the upcoming UEFA Conference League Final against Rayo Vallecano later this month.
Guardiola stressed that City’s focus now shifts immediately to Saturday’s FA Cup Final showdown with Chelsea F.C. at Wembley.
The City manager admitted the title race is effectively in Arsenal’s hands, saying his team can only continue winning and hope the Gunners slip up. Arsenal, chasing their first league crown since 2004, face relegated Burnley F.C. next Monday, while City host AFC Bournemouth a day later.
Guardiola also highlighted the importance of the FA Cup after City lost the previous two finals. Having already won the League Cup this season, City are aiming to complete a domestic cup double.
He insisted his players must quickly recover physically and mentally before facing Chelsea, warning that despite the Blues enduring an inconsistent campaign, their quality remains dangerous.
