7M - Man City put pressure on Arsenal in title race with 'massive' victory, but Pep Guardiola anticipates potential slip-ups

Pep Guardiola does not believe Manchester City will maintain a flawless run in the Premier League title chase—even after securing what he termed a "massive" victory over Newcastle, which cuts Arsenal's lead at the top to just two points.

City delivered a hard-fought 2-1 win on Saturday, turning up the heat on Arsenal following the Gunners' collapse after leading 2-0 in their midweek draw with bottom-side Wolves.

Nico O'Reilly's first two-goal haul in the Premier League secured the points against Newcastle, though City had to battle hard to protect their advantage. The performance prompted Guardiola to celebrate passionately at the final whistle.

When asked about his reaction to the result, Guardiola told TNT Sports: "It's huge. Newcastle are a fantastic side. A really strong team—physical in midfield and extremely quick going forward.

"It was a difficult contest, but the team were outstanding."

Arsenal still have a trip to the Etihad scheduled for April, and City have claimed victory in 16 of their last 19 home matches in the league.

Guardiola has previous experience of overtaking Arsenal deep into the season. His side won their final nine fixtures of the 2023/24 campaign to claim the Premier League title for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year.

When asked whether he feels as prepared as ever for the decisive phase of the season, Guardiola added: "Around 70 percent of the squad have never experienced this situation—and I'm not playing. We have to believe.

"They understand—we all understand—that from now until the end, every match will be exactly like this.

"Today we had the best atmosphere of the season. It was incredible. I'm truly proud to manage these amazing supporters."

Guardiola expects there will be stumbles along the way for his reshaped City team, who remain active in the Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup, despite having won five consecutive matches.

"A lot of things are going to unfold," Guardiola said during his press conference about the title race. "I have a sense that we won't win every match. As for Arsenal, I can't say.

"But I just have this feeling—because of the FA Cup, Champions League fixtures, then complications arise. So many games. Injuries will happen.

"The best approach now is to stay calm and concentrate on Leeds, and we'll take it from there. It all comes down to our performance level—it must keep improving, improving, improving."

He continued: "We have many new players, so they need to go through these experiences. I've told them: forget the bigger picture. We must get better—our current level isn't enough. To challenge for the Premier League title, you need to be in the fight. We showed we could take all three points, but we'll need to raise our game if we want to go all the way.

"I told the lads, 'Go enjoy some caipirinhas and daiquiris over these three days, take it easy.' After that, three focused training sessions and on to Leeds. That's the right approach. I know how tough it will be. And if things don't go to plan, we keep pushing—never give up. Ten or eleven games still ahead—that's a lot in the Premier League."