“I could not care less” – Pep Guardiola not distracted by title talk despite poor Arsenal form | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he ‘could not care less’ about the title race as things stand ahead of Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Newcastle United.

The Blues can win their fifth game in a row and mount further pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal, who are losing their grip over the title race after dropping another two points in a 2-2 draw with Wolves at the Molineux Stadium this week.

City enter this weekend’s round of fixtures five points adrift of Mikel Arteta’s men with a game in hand, though all eyes will be at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the hours leading to kick-off at the Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal face a tricky test away at Tottenham, who have appointed Igor Tudor as head coach after Thomas Frank was relieved of his duties a week ago. Every game is a final for the Premier League’s title chasers between now and the end of the season.

After a sluggish start to 2026 that saw them throw away leads in second halves of games for fun in January, Manchester City have turned a corner in recent weeks and momentum is firmly back on their side ahead of the run-in.

It is for the first time in English football history that two sides from the country will still be in the running for a historic quadruple in March, with Manchester City and Arsenal facing each other in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on March 22.

The duo will also meet each other in a monumental Premier League fixture at the Etihad Stadium in April that will undoubtedly have a huge say in the destination of this league campaign’s trophy, with City smelling blood amid Arsenal’s continuing struggles for form.

City need to take it game by game as they look to put a winning run together but Guardiola is not getting carried away by the hype train around the Blues once again striking fear into Gunners hearts and launching a late claim for the Premier League title.

“I didn’t speak one second about that with my players,” the Manchester City manager said in a press conference on Friday afternoon when quizzed on increasing confidence in his camp over the title race as Arsenal struggle for wins.

“Yesterday and the day before, it’s just Newcastle, Newcastle, and Newcastle. I didn’t talk about the table, I didn’t talk about our position. I could not care less! It’s 12 games (left). It’s 12 games, it’s an eternity. Many things are going to happen. That’s the only truth I have.”

Manchester City can win a fifth Premier League title in six seasons should they usurp the faltering Gunners and with the Blues also still fighting on four fronts, it can be another trophy-laden campaign at the Etihad Stadium.

Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva are expected to return to the starting XI against Newcastle United on Sunday night, with Guardiola also confirming that Savinho is back and available, whereas Jeremy Doku is yet to recover from a calf injury.