Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City’s upcoming clash against Crystal Palace could define the Premier League title race, with Arsenal currently leading by five points.
Speaking to the press via Optus Sport, the Catalan manager revealed that City’s trip to Selhurst Park next Saturday could be one of the biggest matches of the season for the Manchester side, with south London a ground where Guardiola has struggled at in recent years.
The City head coach said when asked about his side’s upcoming fixtures.”Before the international break, we have three games in different competitions that will define our season. Crystal Palace, RB Leipzig and Burnley. They will define what we want to do for the rest of the season.”
With Arsenal scoring a 97th-minute winner to secure three huge points against AFC Bournemouth on Saturday, City are aware that any slip-ups now in the league could be costly, with Mikel Arteta’s side on cloud nine after their miraculous comeback on the weekend.
Indeed, Arsenal will be hoping that their London rivals will do themselves a favour next week when City come to the capital, with Palace in need of points having not won in the Premier League since December as Patrick Vieira’s job continues to look insecure.
And Guardiola highlighting how important City’s clash against Palace is in the Premier League is a testament to how serious Arsenal’s title credentials are, with the Gunners firmly in the driving seat to win the English top-flight for the first time since 2004.
City must beat Palace to keep Premier League dream alive
City have just 12 games left in the Premier League this season, and everyone knows that the Manchester giants will have to be near-perfect if they’re to trump Arsenal to the title. And a win against Palace will help Guardiola’s side build from this weekend’s win against Newcastle United.
Every point is crucial between now and the end of the season, and for City, their next Premier League match against Palace could easily define their third-in-a-row bid for the English title, with Arsenal beginning to find their mojo again under Arteta.
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