Pep Guardiola Makes Unexpected Admission About Man City Ahead of Crystal Palace Clash
- Pep Guardiola has admitted that Manchester City is under pressure ahead of a decisive title race match
- Manchester City will host Crystal Palace on Wednesday in a must-win game to stay alive in the title race
- A win for the Citizens keeps them alive, but a draw or a loss would hand Arsenal their first title in 22 years
Pep Guardiola has admitted that Manchester City is under pressure in the Premier League title race ahead of their rescheduled match against Crystal Palace.
City will host Palace at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in a match that will play a huge role in their Premier League title ambitions.
Source: Getty Images
If City secure all three points, they will cut the point gap between them and Arsenal on the table to two points with two matches left in the season.
If they draw, the points gap remains four, which is an advantage for Arsenal, and if they lose, the Gunners will be champions if they beat Burnley.
Guardiola admits pressure on Man City
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has opened up on the pressure his team is under as they prepare for the decisive match against Crystal Palace.
The admission comes as a surprise, as Guardiola has maintained a calm and confident position despite the back and forth in the title race with Arsenal.
“It’s [pressure] the same one as one day, two days, one week ago, two weeks ago, same one,” he said at his pre-match conference as quoted by Mancity.com.
Guardiola confirmed that all he had been thinking about since Arsenal’s narrow win over West Ham was Crystal Palace, as it is the only thing he can control.
“Crystal Palace - and thinking what we have to do. As I always learned from my career as a manager what you can’t control, forget about it,” he added.
“[Focus] and do better what we have not done better this season to fight for the Premier League. We are still fighting and [next it’s] Crystal Palace.”
Manchester City’s squad is boosted by the potential return of Rodri and Abdulkodir Khusanov, both of whom have missed matches due to injuries.
Rodri will particularly help City in midfield and provide the mentality and leadership needed on the pitch to deal with the high-pressure match.
As noted by the Premier League, Crystal Palace will have a say in this season’s title race as they will face the two title contenders, Manchester City and Arsenal, in the space of two weeks.
Source: Getty Images
Oliver Glasner’s side will host Arsenal on the final day, and it could be a difficult game for the Gunners if they have not already wrapped up the title.
Palace is one of the three English teams in a European final this season, having booked a UEFA Europa Conference League final date against Rayo Vallecano.
How Man City could still win title
Legit.ng previously analysed how Man City could still win the Premier League title despite Arsenal having a five-point lead at the top of the table.
Pep Guardiola's side must win the remaining three matches and hope that the Gunners slip up in their remaining two matches to have a chance.
Source: Legit.ng
