Manchester City are mentally on top ahead of the potentially decisive clash with Arsenal. According to Pep Guardiola, this also has to do with the weather.
Manchester City go into Sunday’s Premier League summit against Arsenal FC six points behind the leaders. Psychologically, however, the runners-up in the table are at least six points ahead.
While the Gunners are fearful of missing out on their first league title in 22 years after their 2-1 loss to AFC Bournemouth on Saturday, Man City are embarking on the next stage of a winning streak. The Guardian calls it “Pep in spring”.
In the past four years, Pep Guardiola’s team has won 19 of 23 competitive matches this month and not lost a single one. What is the secret? “The sun. No, it’s not a joke!” insisted Guardiola after the superior 3-0 away win at Chelsea FC on Sunday. “The sun never shines in Manchester. If it shone in November, we’d be champions in January.” The atmosphere is simply different.
Does the League Cup experience help? “We were underdogs, not this time”
After a few showers during the week, a few hours of sunshine are also forecast for the coming weekend in Manchester. The fact that Arsenal still have to play the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Sporting Lisbon four days earlier also speaks against them ahead of the “final for both” (Guardiola) early on Sunday evening.
And: Man City snatched the League Cup from their rivals just three weeks ago, heralding a change of mood in the Premier League title race. “Is there a person in this room who bet on us in the Carabao Cup final?” asked Guardiola again, after claiming at the time that he hadn’t even “put a pound on that win” himself.
“We were the underdogs and that was perfect, but this time it’s different,” warned the coach, urging ‘respect’ for the Gunners: “Arsenal have only lost three of 49 games. Beating them once is difficult enough, let alone twice in a few weeks!”
Even with a win, ManCity would remain in the chasing pack, but would then finally be mentally on top and at most one goal behind on goal difference. The remaining program speaks in favor of last year’s third-placed team in one respect anyway: Between the penultimate and final matchday, there is still the catch-up game against Crystal Palace.
