JAKARTA - Manchester City is not yet a complete team. However, manager Pep Guardiola still believes Man City still has a chance to catch up with Arsenal in the race for the English Premier League title.
Man City received a pretty big blow after losing points. In the match at home at the Etihad, Man City was held by the bottom team Nottingham Forest 2-2.
The draw left Man City behind Arsenal who won 1-0 over Brighton and Hove Albion. Now, Arsenal is seven points ahead. Only, Man City who is in second place still has one match. In addition, Man City will still host Arsenal in April so that Erling Haaland et al. still have the opportunity to chase their competitors who are perched at the top of the standings.
Man City's failure and Arsenal's victory make the competition for the league title really over. Chelsea legend John Terry said that Man City was difficult to catch up with Arsenal.
"Manchester City lost points again. It was the end for them after Arsenal beat Brighton," Terry told the Evening Standard.
"I think it's hard to catch [Arsenal]," said the former England defender.
Guardiola himself admitted that it was not easy to face the competition. Moreover, he realized that Man City was not really a complete team. The departure of a number of players and their arrival to replace them made the team still in the process. It's no wonder that Man City sometimes loses points when facing lower-tier teams.
"We actually have the ability to immediately forget [the bad results in the previous match]. However, it must be admitted that we are not yet completely complete to compete. That's the truth. We are still in the process of continuing to change," said Guardiola.
"But if we learn quickly, I'm sure we'll be better next season. I have no doubt," he said again.
Guardiola ensures the team always rises after disappointing results. He believes Man City is capable of doing so and competing with Arsenal again even though they are currently seven points behind.
Only Man City is still playing a busy match schedule because they are still in various competitions and tournaments. Man City will face Newcastle United in the fifth round of the FA Cup, Sunday, March 8, 2026 WIB early morning. Furthermore, they fly to Spain to meet Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League 16. The match itself is held in the middle of next week.
Man City also qualified for the English League Cup final and will face Arsenal. "The most important thing is the recovery of the players. It's important for them to rest, sleep, eat and get back to training. We know how to deal with this kind of situation," he said.
"Of course we have to get home faster than late for recovery. The reason is that we face an important match. For English clubs, the English League Cup is more important than the Champions League," Guardiola said again.
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