Pep Guardiola makes Manchester City title prediction after frustrating Arsenal setback | OneFootball

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has assessed his side’s chances of pipping Liverpool and Arsenal to the 2025-26 Premier League title.

City were held to their first draw of the season at the weekend as Gabriel Martinelli’s injury-time chip over Gianluigi Donnarumma salvaged a 1-1 draw for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta at the Emirates Stadium.

The result means Manchester City have amassed seven points in their opening five games of the Premier League campaign and after defeats to Tottenham and Brighton prior to the international break, Guardiola’s men have turned a corner with their form of late.

City have picked up seven points in a week’s run of games against Manchester United, Napoli and Arsenal, with Guardiola fielding an unchanged lineup in the trio of games ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup third-round trip to Huddersfield Town.

The Blues took an early lead in north London via Erling Haaland on Sunday and uncharacteristically resorted to a conservative, park-the-bus tactic for the best part of 80 minutes to protect a slender lead against a strong Arsenal side.

Not that he would care, maybe bar the fun he has from his burner account on social media platform X, Guardiola has received mixed reactions to his side’s unconventional approach in trying to see out the game at the Emirates Stadium.

City sit in ninth position in the Premier League table after five games – eight points behind leaders and title holders Liverpool – who finished 13 points ahead of the Blues and walked to the Premier League title last term in Arne Slot’s debut season in Merseyside.

Guardiola penned a two-year extension in the fall of 2024 and Manchester City’s newly-appointed sporting director Hugo Viana loosened the purse strings in the recent transfer window as City made seven first-team signings and conducted a major revamp of the dressing room.

After his side were held to a draw at the Emirates Stadium at the weekend, Guardiola was asked about his current outlook on Manchester City’s chances of winning a fifth Premier League title in six seasons in May 2026.

“It’s the same what I said, I don’t know! You asked me this question years ago, right? When after four or five games we should win the Premier League in November, in December. And I said, I don’t know,” Guardiola said.

“So I know we are extra favourites against machine teams than before Liverpool under Jurgen (Klopp) or Arsenal or (Manchester) United or whatever. And after Eddie Howe with Newcastle, so I don’t know. It’s the same right now.

“I know we are eight points difference from Liverpool, it’s a lot points, but we have three points difference with the second position. It’s just five games played. It just I want to see above my team in terms of body languages like I said many times, I love it. And after, hopefully we can step by step improve.”

City return to Premier League duties on Saturday against Burnley and can ill-afford any early slip-ups in the title race, though Guardiola will be looking at the bright side and hoping to build on his side’s recent run of results into the winter.