Pep Guardiola believes that a demanding schedule will benefit Manchester City in the Premier League title race, but that one defeat will end their quest.
If Guardiola’s team beats relegation-threatened Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, they will be three points behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.
Free-scoring On Tuesday, City extended their winning streak to nine games by defeating Bayern Munich 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Read Also:Arteta Confirms Saliba Unavailability Ahead Of London Derby
Next week, City travel to Bayern Munich for the second leg before facing Sheffield United in an FA Cup semi-final, followed by a game in hand against Brighton and Hove Albion before a potential title decider against Arsenal at home.
Arsenal can concentrate solely on winning the Premier League, but City manager Pep Guardiola believes that playing so many games will benefit his team.
When asked if the fact that the Gunners are only competing for the Premier League title gives them an advantage, the Spaniard replied:
“Honestly, I don’t know. Sometimes when we play games every few days we are in rhythm, and that helps our focus.
” Sometimes when we’ve played one game, we’ve lost focus.
“When you play Saturday and then Tuesday or Wednesday, the mind of the players is [focused on football].
“One game a week, you have two days off, you have to come back, get it back, you lose the feeling.
“The players do everything to keep going.”
Guardiola also emphasized that City’s current game is far from a foregone conclusion.
He added: “The reality is we are six points behind no guarantee we will win the games in hand.
“The best team in world for build-up, the best team is Brighton, there is no better team in bringing it from the keeper to the last quarter. No team is better right now.
“Arsenal is at home but there is no guarantee.
“The reality in the table is that we are six points behind.
“We need to win our games, that is the reality.
” At the end of the games, that is when we will see the reality and the reality is that we are six points behind.”
Leicester appointed Dean Smith as manager until the end of the season this week, after sacking Brendan Rodgers, with the Foxes in the relegation zone.
Guardiola has warned that the champions have no margin for error and that their previous success does not give them an advantage over Arsenal.
“If we lose games, we lose competitions. It is the same tomorrow. If we lose we will not be champion, if we win we can still be there,” he said.
“We are six points behind Arsenal; a team that plays one game a week and loses very few points. They have time to analyse games and recover; it is difficult to drop points.
“We have to be there as much as possible.
“Everybody knows that if we lose it is over.
“That is the best way to compete. In every football action, the players are feeling that they have to win a due or win an action because if not they will lose.
“That is where you have the best [opportunity].
” I have doubts about whether experience counts a lot for next time.”