May 14 – Manchester City travel to Spurs tonight in a North London showdown that could define the Premier League season.
With a win, Pep Guardiola’s title holders are thrust into first place in the Premier League standings, leapfrogging Spurs arch-rivals Arsenal in the process. A loss, however, would put Arsenal in the driver’s seat ahead of the final game of the season.
“It’s obvious. We have just one option: win the game. We travel for that,” Pep Guardiola said at a news conference on Monday. “The mindset is easy because if we don’t win, we don’t win the Premier League.
“We know what we’re playing for: it’s a knockout, like a quarter-final, semi-final second leg of the Champions League or FA Cup. Simple: win, OK; lose, bye-bye. It’s not much more complicated than that.”
The Spaniard also took the opportunity to take a jab at title rivals Arsenal alongside Manchester United and Chelsea as his side look to lift a historic fourth successive Premier League title – met with claims his team’s dominance is ‘getting boring’.
The Citizens’ net spend over the past five years is -£326 million, well below Arsenal’s (-£551 million), United’s (-£595 million) and Chelsea’s (-£673 million). Guardiola said: “It’s not boring. But before, do you know what it [the criticism] was? It was the money.
“So for that reason United should have won all the titles – all of them. Second? Chelsea – all the titles. Third? Arsenal – all the titles. They spent as much money in the last five years as us.”
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has refuted claims that his team would accept a loss if it meant derailing Arsenal’s title hopes.
“I understand rivalry. I was part of one of the biggest ones in the world in the last couple of years with Celtic and Rangers,” said Postecoglou.
“But I’ve never, and will never, understand if someone wants their own team to lose. That’s not what sport is about. It’s not what I love about the game.”
He added: “Real success looks like trophies. Anything else in between, bragging rights, whatever, it is absolutely meaningless to me.
Aston Villa’s late draw to Liverpool on Monday night puts them within touching distance of a place in next season’s Champions League, with Spurs needing six points out of six to retain a chance of qualification.
Villa need just one point against Crystal Palace on Sunday to win the race for the fourth qualification spot.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1722060262labto1722060262ofdlr1722060262owedi1722060262sni@g1722060262niwe.1722060262yrrah1722060262