“We’ve seen it every year” – Ruben Dias issues warning to Arsenal over Premier League title race | OneFootball

Manchester City are continuing to ‘build slowly’ in the ongoing Premier League season, Ruben Dias has warned.

City remained on Arsenal’s heels in a tightly-contested title race this weekend as a brace from Erling Haaland and a first Etihad Stadium strike for summer signing Tijjani Reijnders against West Ham helped the Blues head into Christmas just two points adrift of the Gunners.

Pep Guardiola and co have gradually clawed their way back into the conversation for what would be a fifth Premier League crown in six years if City do what they’ve been doing well in the recent past and pip an ever-strong Arsenal side in the business stages of the campaign.

Guardiola has seen his future at the Etihad Stadium come under question in the last week, with media reports deeming Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca as a likely replacement for the 54-year-old, who is contracted at City till 2027 but could call it a day next summer.

However, Guardiola has knocked back suggestions of a premature exit since and committed his short-term future to City, who are competing on all fronts after conducting a major revamp of their first-team ranks in the summer transfer window.

Hugo Viana stepped in as Manchester City’s sporting director this summer and loosened the purse strings to give the Catalan the ammunition he needed to direct the club to major trophies once again – in the backdrop of Guardiola’s most challenging season in England.

City made a slugging start to the 2025-26 season by losing two of their opening trio of Premier League games but a fine run of form since, spurred by Erling Haaland’s devastating goalscoring prowess, has put the Blues in pole position to build on their recent form and stake a claim for silverware on all fronts come the end of the term.

Guardiola’s side are firmly in the title race; they have also taken a huge step towards avoiding the UEFA Champions League play-offs by beating Real Madrid in the group-stage to edge ever closer to a spot in the Round of 16. The Blues also secured a place in the Carabao Cup semi-final last week after beating Brentford 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

City are not yet purring like they so often and consistently have over the years en route to a plethora of silverware – but they have build a strong foundation in the first half of a crossroads campaign that can provide dividends as the season progresses.

Speaking to Mail Sport’s Jack Gaughan, Manchester City defender Ruben Dias said: “In a season, you always need to build slowly. When you get to February onwards you need to be ready.

“We have seen it every year we have been successful in that we might not be top of the league – but we are there. We need that again this season.”

While Arsenal have arguably been the most convincing side in the league so far, City have the ingredients to keep plugging away and the coming 45 days of fixtures – wherein the Blues face Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester United – will go some way in delivering a verdict on City’s chances of winning silverware this season.