It looks like this season’s title race is shaping up to be a straight shootout between Arsenal and Manchester City.
Arsenal are top of the table after 17 matches, but City aren’t far behind. Guardiola’s team are only two points back, and their recent form has been strong.
Mikel Arteta knows his players will have to keep their momentum going if they want to stay ahead of the reigning champions. If they slip up, City will be ready to take advantage.
Guardiola, though, believes it’s still Arsenal’s title to lose unless his side can make one key change.
Guardiola warns Man City need to sharpen up in attack to catch Arsenal
There’s been a lot of talk about Manchester City’s defence this season, with many pointing to it as their main weakness. While they have let in 16 goals compared to Arsenal’s 10, Erling Haaland has been firing at the other end and keeping them competitive.
Many believe the title race will come down to City’s firepower versus Arsenal’s defensive strength, but Guardiola doesn’t see it that way.
Speaking after his side’s win over West Ham United, Guardiola shared his concerns about how his team looked in attack. He feels they are nowhere near where they need to be if they want to challenge for another Premier League title.
The Manchester City boss said: “A few things, they were really, really good. We’re improving a lot, in terms of defensively, I love it a lot.”
“With the ball we were miles away from where you have to be a contender to win the big big trophies,” he added. “Today right spots were not occupied and our movement was not correct.”
He also had praise for Rodri after seeing him back on the pitch following an injury spell, saying: “Rodri gives us stability and personality and everything that is so important for us.”
It wasn’t all criticism though; he made sure to highlight Nathan Ake’s contributions as well: “Nathan was fantastic today.”
Title race brings shared concerns for Arsenal and City
Guardiola’s comments on City’s attack come at a time when the numbers back him up.
So far this season, City have scored 41 goals in the league, with Haaland responsible for 19 of them. That heavy reliance on one player is something to keep an eye on.
Arsenal don’t have a single prolific scorer like Haaland, but they are facing their own issues in front of goal. Despite creating plenty of chances, Arteta’s side haven’t been converting enough of them.
During their recent match against Everton, the Gunners hit the woodwork twice and saw Bukayo Saka miss a clear opportunity from inside the box.
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal’s stronger defence will give them enough of an edge to hold off City over the course of the season.
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