Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has sent a pointed five-word warning to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, insisting he 'would not be relaxed' if he were in the Gunners' position. Guardiola's comments come as Arsenal dropped points in a 1-1 draw against Brentford, while City closed the gap to three points with a 3-0 victory over Fulham.
Speaking ahead of City's FA Cup tie against Salford City, Guardiola said: 'I would prefer to be in the position Arsenal are in than in our position. If I would be in the position of four points in front and second with 20 games left, I would not be relaxed.' The Spaniard, 55, added that being four points behind would be even less relaxing, but he would still rather be in Arsenal's shoes.
Arteta, formerly Guardiola's assistant at City, urged his team to maintain composure and raise their levels. 'We're going to be preparing to win every single match,' he said after the Brentford stalemate. 'Raise the levels, collectively and individually, to be better than our opponents every week. That's going to carry on like this until May.'
Midfielder Declan Rice echoed his manager's sentiments, describing the season as a 'rollercoaster' and stressing the need to block out outside noise. 'We have to keep pushing and believing in ourselves, controlling the controllable,' Rice said. 'People are going to talk up the title race but we have a really calm group.'
Arsenal face Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup this weekend before a potential title-deciding clash against Manchester City on 18 April. The Gunners are also in the League Cup final and Champions League knockout stages, aiming to end a six-year trophy drought.
