Marc Guehi insists Man City must remain focussed as Arsenal close in on Premier League title | OneFootball

Manchester City must keep the focus on themselves and winning all of their remaining Premier League fixtures, says Marc Guehi.

The pressure on City has certainly reached its peak, and after Arsenal’s crucial 0-1 victory over West Ham at the weekend, Mikel Arteta’s side have placed the ball firmly in their rivals’ court with the direction of the top-flight crown in their own hands.

While the North Londoners lead the pack, City have the simple task of ensuring that they win their remaining games, although any slip-up against Crystal Palace would leave the Gunners needing only a win against Burnley to secure their first title in over two decades.

The internal atmosphere at the City Football Academy remains one of calm, and Marc Guehi – who has become a defensive pillar since his move to the Etihad Stadium in January – has been instrumental in keeping City within touching distance of the summit.

With veteran leaders like Bernardo Silva and John Stones preparing for their high-profile departures this summer, the responsibility has shifted to the likes of Guehi to maintain the elite mentality that has defined the Pep Guardiola era.

“It’s over to us”: Guehi dismisses Arsenal distractions

Speaking to Manchester City’s official club website ahead of Wednesday night’s meeting with Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium, Marc Guehi insisted that despite the uphill battle in the title race with three matches remaining, the focus must simply remain internal.

“I didn’t watch the game [between West Ham and Arsenal]. No thoughts really. It’s over to us to try and keep it alive and take it to the last stage again,” said Guehi.

The England international continued, “Everyone’s different, everyone has their own way of dealing with things. I don’t really want to focus too much on what other people are doing. The most important thing we can do is focus on ourselves.

“Especially a club like this, I think everyone is [putting pressure on themselves] the good thing is we’ve all got that same mentality. That’s the only way you can go on and achieve things and improve. It’s really good that everyone’s demanding of themselves as well as each other.”

Further quizzed on his recent success in a defensive duo alongside Abdukodir Khusanov, Guehi explained, “It’s been great playing with him. He’s a top player, an even better guy.

“I’ve been learning a lot from every single person I’ve played with, Ruben [Dias] and Nathan [Ake] that I played with at the weekend, it’s been a joy to play with them and hopefully we can keep the stability at the back.”

The final run-in

The road ahead for Manchester City is fraught with tension, and after tonight’s clash with the Eagles, City travel to face Bournemouth just days after the FA Cup Final against Chelsea on May 16, before the final-day showdown against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium.

The upcoming trip to Wembley gives Guehi his first opportunity at major silverware in sky blue, having been ineligible to feature in the final stages of the club’s successful Carabao Cup run culminating in a win over Arsenal.

The fitness of the squad will continue to be paramount in any success City have in the final fortnight of the campaign, and Pep Guardiola will no doubt be overjoyed with the return of Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol to training in recent days.