Pep maintains title ‘aspiration’ for Man City despite Arsenal’s 6-point advantage
Pep Guardiola maintains that Manchester City still possesses “hope” in the Premier League title contest, even as the gap at the summit has increased to six points following a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.
City held a 2-0 advantage at halftime, thanks to goals from Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo.
However, they were equalized in the second half by a double from Dominic Solanke and managed to secure a draw only due to a series of saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Arsenal now leads by six points, with City set to face a challenging away match against Liverpool in their upcoming Premier League encounter.
“As long as the opportunity exists, the hopes will always remain,” Guardiola stated. “It occurs. I understand that in these types of matches, historically, there is a way to secure a win, and today it did not materialize.
“We are facing challenges on various fronts, but the players are returning, and I observed an incredibly positive spirit in many aspects.”
Guardiola voiced his dissatisfaction with several refereeing decisions over recent weeks, and he experienced frustration once more against Spurs.
Replays of Solanke’s initial goal indicated that the striker made contact with the back of Marc Guéhi’s leg during a scramble in the penalty area to push the ball over the line.
“If a central defender does that to a striker, it’s a penalty,” Guardiola remarked. “The momentum in the Premier League when conceding a goal is uncontrollable.
“That will serve as our lesson, and once again it will strengthen and improve us, particularly for many players in the future.”
The second-half decline at Spurs follows a concerning trend for City, who also experienced periods on the defensive after halftime against both Wolves and Galatasaray.
Neither team was able to take advantage, and City maintained two clean sheets, but they could not withstand Spurs.
“You’re correct,” Guardiola acknowledged when questioned about the pattern. “We discussed it. As a manager, adjustments can be made in the second half. When the first half performance is lacking, substitutions can be made if something is not functioning.
“They had two or three free kicks [in the first half], but the remainder was satisfactory. We began the second half very well, but it was the goal that altered the dynamics a bit.”
