Pep Guardiola has declared that Manchester City will remain in hot pursuit of Arsenal until the very last kick of the Premier League season, following a commanding 3-0 victory over Brentford. Goals from Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland, and Omar Marmoush reduced the gap to two points, piling pressure on Arsenal ahead of their Sunday clash with West Ham United.
Guardiola's Rallying Cry
After the match, a buoyant Guardiola concluded his media duties by shouting 'Come on you Irons' while crossing his arms in a gesture of support for West Ham, as he eagerly awaits Mikel Arteta's trip to the London Stadium. 'We will do our job,' Guardiola asserted. 'We will do our job and wait. It is not in our hands. We didn't do it perfectly with Everton.'
Reflecting on the season, Guardiola noted, 'Everton was the real proof of not giving up, 3-1 down and emotions. The second half we gave it away. It happened last season many times, now we're more solid but we still give away. That's football, it's how you react. I'm pleased for the way we have done it.'
'It's simple, in two weeks the season will be over, and we have to, in every moment, play with the spirit I have seen. This is a team that defines,' he added.
Guardiola's Love for the Fight
Guardiola expressed his enjoyment of the title battle, stating, 'I love it. I love to be here again. To finish second again as a minimum - I love it. I didn't enjoy last season and the moment to fight to qualify for the Champions League was difficult but the Carabao Cup is in our pocket and the FA Cup final at Wembley next week is the most beautiful day of the season and I love it.'
He praised his squad's cohesion: 'You can see how the players help each other in every training session and it is a joy. It's an honour to be here. I'd love to be 20 points in front but that's not the case against an incredible Arsenal team.'
Doku Shines Again
City, who drew at West Ham in March, were inspired by another mesmerising performance from Jeremy Doku, who opened the scoring after a brace against Everton. Haaland commented on Doku's form: 'Look at his last three goals, incredible - somethings right, I'm super happy for him. He's been working hard to improve his shooting and passes and you can see how much he's developed - hard and smart work pays off.'
Haaland remained focused on the task ahead: 'I can't think of title race, or Arsenal, it's just about trying to help Man City win the game. Everton was a disappointment as we didn't win – we can't think about them or Brentford now, we have four more finals.'
Brentford's Penalty Grievance
Brentford boss Keith Andrews expressed frustration over referee Michael Salisbury's decision not to award a penalty when Kevin Schade went down while through on goal with City leading 1-0. The result leaves Brentford four points behind Bournemouth in sixth place.
'The comment I heard (from the referee) was not enough contact,' Andrews said. 'For someone who is as quick as Kevin Schade, I don't know how much contact it needs. Not with how quick Kev is. It's disappointing.'
'The officials have a really difficult job with the speed of the game it's so hard. Players are trying to get decisions. I just felt we were going to get one.' He added, 'In what word he (chooses to) go down is beyond me. I'm struggling to comprehend it.'
