{"id":4768,"date":"2026-04-11T13:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T13:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/?p=4768"},"modified":"2026-04-11T13:01:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T13:01:00","slug":"man-city-or-arsenal-can-pep-guardiola-bridge-nine-point-gap-in-premier-league-title-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/?p=4768","title":{"rendered":"Man City or Arsenal: Can Pep Guardiola bridge nine-point gap in Premier League title race?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">Manchester City have never gone consecutive years without winning the Premier League title since Pep Guardiola took the reins in 2016, and they may not intend to start now.<\/p>\n<p>This iteration of Guardiola\u2019s team are undeniably not at the same level as the Catalan\u2019s vaunted teams, but they hope to replicate what previous title-winning teams produced in the final stretch of title races.<\/p>\n<p>For much of this season, positive results have proved to be nothing but false dawns, with the Manchester outfit slipping back into old habits of dropping the ball on the odd occasion.<\/p>\n<p>What has mostly stood out previously is City\u2019s knack for stringing wins together to rein in and overtake their co-contenders, pull away from the chasing pack or maintain leads to stave off any competition.<\/p>\n<p>Ahead of <strong>facing Chelsea on Sunday<\/strong>who they have not lost to in 12 matches in all competitions \u2014 nine in the Premier League \u2014 since 2021&#8217;s Champions League final, the Cityzens&#8217; form in the run-in has come under scrutiny again as they enter their final eight matches.<\/p>\n<p>As reported by <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport\/football\/live\/cwyxndndp4pt\">BBC Sport<\/a><\/em>the Manchester giants have won 28 of their last 31 top-flight matches in April under Guardiola, losing just one match during that period.<\/p>\n<p>Digging deeper, their run of 30 wins, five draws and three defeats in the penultimate month of the season sees Pep&#8217;s team average 2.50 points per game, unsurprisingly the highest among teams to play 15 matches or more in one month.<\/p>\n<p>Doubly fascinating is that City&#8217;s 2.47 points-per-game in May is second in this metric, further underlining how impressive they can be in the run-in.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">Ahead of Sunday&#8217;s visit to Stamford Bridge, where Man City have won four of their last five, <strong>Sports Mole<\/strong> revisits how Guardiola&#8217;s side have fared in previous seasons across their final eight matches of each campaign under the Spanish manager.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>How Man City have fared under Guardiola in the PL run-in<\/h2>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" data-img-id=\"139973\" class=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsmole.co.uk\/thumbor\/U7A5iI66DXs2OIkmyKv7Ta_WsB8=\/640x480\/smart\/filters:format(webp)\/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F47%2Fmanchester-city.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Imago<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Open+Sans:wght@400;600;700&amp;display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\"\/>\n<section aria-labelledby=\"tipster-title\" class=\"box-tipster\">&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"box-tipster-content\">\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 3-1 Hull City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li> Southampton 0-3 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li> Man City 0-0 Man Utd<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li> Middlesbrough 2-2 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li> Man City 5-0 Crystal Palace<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li> Man City 2-1 Leicester City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li> Man City 3-1 West Bromwich Albion<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Watford 0-5 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<p>Guardiola\u2019s inaugural campaign in England was a transitional period for the ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss.<\/p>\n<p>While a sustained title challenge proved elusive, the Cityzens\u2019 clinical finish ensured they did not miss out on Champions League qualification.<\/p>\n<p>High-scoring victories against Crystal Palace and Watford on the final day highlighted the attacking potential that would soon dominate the league.<\/p>\n<p>City ultimately secured third place with 78 points, providing a stable foundation for the tactical overhaul and domestic dominance that would follow in the subsequent years of the Pep era at the Etihad Stadium.<\/p>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Open+Sans:wght@400;600;700&amp;display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\"\/>\n<section aria-labelledby=\"tipster-title\" class=\"box-tipster\">&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"box-tipster-content\">\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Everton 1-3 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 2-3 Man Utd<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Tottenham 1-3 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 5-0 Swansea City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>West Ham 1-4 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 0-0 Huddersfield Town<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 3-1 Brighton<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Southampton 0-1 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<p>This was the season of the Centurions, as City turned the final stretch into a historic victory lap.<\/p>\n<p>Despite a brief setback in a dramatic derby defeat, which saw the Cityzens blow a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2, Guardiola\u2019s men were untouchable.<\/p>\n<p>Gabriel Jesus\u2019s last-gasp winner at St Mary\u2019s on the final day ensured the team reached the unprecedented 100-point milestone.<\/p>\n<p>Finishing as\u00a0champions\u00a0in record-breaking fashion, they ended the campaign 19 points clear of their nearest rivals, setting new benchmarks for goals scored, wins and points in a single Premier League season.<\/p>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Open+Sans:wght@400;600;700&amp;display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\"\/>\n<section aria-labelledby=\"tipster-title\" class=\"box-tipster\">&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"box-tipster-content\">\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Fulham 0-2 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 2-0 Cardiff City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Crystal Palace 1-3 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 1-0 Tottenham<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man Utd 0-2 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Burnley 0-1 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 1-0 Leicester City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Brighton 1-4 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<p>In a title race of microscopic margins, City produced a perfect eight-game streak to hold off a relentless Liverpool.<\/p>\n<p>Every fixture required perfection, exemplified by Vincent Kompany\u2019s iconic thunderbolt against Leicester City in the penultimate week.<\/p>\n<p>By winning their final 14 league matches of the season, Guardiola\u2019s side displayed immense mental fortitude to retain their crown.<\/p>\n<p>They finished as\u00a0champions\u00a0with 98 points, just one ahead of the Merseysiders, to secure the first-ever domestic treble in English men\u2019s football history.<\/p>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Open+Sans:wght@400;600;700&amp;display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\"\/>\n<section aria-labelledby=\"tipster-title\" class=\"box-tipster\">&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"box-tipster-content\">\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Chelsea 2-1 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 4-0 Liverpool<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Southampton 1-0 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 5-0 Newcastle<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Brighton 0-5 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 2-1 Bournemouth<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Watford 0-4 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 5-0 Norwich City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<p>With Jurgen Klopp&#8217;s Liverpool running away with the title, the season\u2019s final eight matches became a platform for City to demonstrate their continued goal-scoring prowess.<\/p>\n<p>Although defeats at Chelsea and Southampton highlighted defensive frailties, a 4-0 demolition of the newly-crowned champions served as a statement of intent.<\/p>\n<p>The run-in was a barrage of goals, with 25 scored across the eight fixtures, as City eventually finished in\u00a0second place\u00a0with 81 points, maintaining their status as the league&#8217;s most prolific attacking unit despite falling short of the title.<\/p>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Open+Sans:wght@400;600;700&amp;display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\"\/>\n<section aria-labelledby=\"tipster-title\" class=\"box-tipster\">&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"box-tipster-content\">\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Leicester City 0-2 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 1-2 Leeds United<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Aston Villa 1-2 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Crystal Palace 0-2 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 1-2 Chelsea<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Newcastle 3-4 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Brighton 3-2 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 5-0 Everton<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<p>Played mostly in empty stadiums, City\u2019s path to the title was secured through a dominant mid-season surge, which allowed Guardiola to rotate heavily during the run-in while focusing on a first Champions League final.<\/p>\n<p>Despite some inconsistent results in May, the campaign ended on a high with a clinical five-goal victory over Everton.<\/p>\n<p>City reclaimed their status as\u00a0champions, finishing 12 points clear at the top with 86 points and confirming their status as the dominant force in the post-pandemic era.<\/p>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Open+Sans:wght@400;600;700&amp;display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\"\/>\n<section aria-labelledby=\"tipster-title\" class=\"box-tipster\">&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"box-tipster-content\">\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 2-2 Liverpool<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 3-0 Brighton<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 5-1 Watford<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Leeds United 0-4 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 5-0 Newcastle<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Wolves 1-5 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>West Ham 2-2 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 3-2 Aston Villa<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<p>The 2021-22 run-in concluded with the most dramatic final day in the club&#8217;s history since the Sergio Aguero-inspired heroics in 2013-14.<\/p>\n<p>Trailing 2-0 to Aston Villa with 15 minutes remaining, City\u2019s title hopes seemed dead before a sensational three-goal salvo in just five minutes secured the win.<\/p>\n<p>Their incredible turnaround was the climax of a neck-and-neck race with Liverpool, where neither side blinked.<\/p>\n<p>Guardiola\u2019s men finished as\u00a0champions\u00a0with 93 points, securing their fourth title in five seasons and further cementing their legendary status in English football.<\/p>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Open+Sans:wght@400;600;700&amp;display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\"\/>\n<section aria-labelledby=\"tipster-title\" class=\"box-tipster\">&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"box-tipster-content\">\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 4-1 Arsenal<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Fulham 1-2 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 3-0 West Ham<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 2-1 Leeds United<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Everton 0-3 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 1-0 Chelsea<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Brighton 1-1 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Brentford 1-0 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<p>The club&#8217;s Treble-winning season was defined by a ruthless dismantling of Arsenal\u2019s title challenge in late April.<\/p>\n<p>The 4-1 victory over Mike Arteta&#8217;s Gunners broke the back of the race and allowed City to coast toward the finish line.<\/p>\n<p>With the league title secured following a win over Chelsea, Guardiola was able to rest key personnel for the upcoming FA Cup and Champions League finals.<\/p>\n<p>They finished as\u00a0champions\u00a0on 89 points, completing the first leg of an historic treble that mirrored Manchester United\u2019s 1999 achievement.<\/p>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Open+Sans:wght@400;600;700&amp;display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\"\/>\n<section aria-labelledby=\"tipster-title\" class=\"box-tipster\">&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"box-tipster-content\">\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 5-1 Luton Town<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Brighton 0-4 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Nottingham Forest 0-2 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 5-1 Wolves<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Fulham 0-4 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Tottenham 0-2 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 3-1 West Ham<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<p>Chasing an unprecedented fourth consecutive top-flight title, City produced a perfect run-in by winning every one of their final nine matches.<\/p>\n<p>The pressure of a surging Arsenal side failed to rattle the champions, who navigated tricky away trips to Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur with characteristic composure, and a final-day victory against West Ham at the Etihad ensured history was made.<\/p>\n<p>Finishing as\u00a0champions\u00a0with 91 points, they became the first club in the history of English football to win four successive league titles.<\/p>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Open+Sans:wght@400;600;700&amp;display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\"\/>\n<section aria-labelledby=\"tipster-title\" class=\"box-tipster\">&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"box-tipster-content\">\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man Utd 0-0 Man City <\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 5-2 Crystal Palace <\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Everton 0-2 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 2-1 Aston Villa<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 1-0 Wolves<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Southampton 0-0 Man City<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Man City 3-1 Bournemouth<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Fulham 0-2 Man City<br \/>&#13;<br \/>\n\t<meta charset=\"UTF-8\"\/><\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<p>In a transitional year following heavy injuries to key personnel, City were forced to relinquish their crown to a dominant Liverpool.<\/p>\n<p>Despite a strong final stretch that saw them remain unbeaten in their last eight matches, earlier points dropped during a difficult winter period proved insurmountable.<\/p>\n<p>Guardiola\u2019s side eventually finished in\u00a0third place<strong> <\/strong>with 71 points, securing Champions League football for a 15th consecutive season.<\/p>\n<h2>Will Man City supplant Arsenal in 2025-26?<\/h2>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" data-img-id=\"158041\" class=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sportsmole.co.uk\/thumbor\/u1jLt7TfxpFjfFhj2UYLwBFUfHk=\/640x480\/smart\/filters:format(webp)\/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F02%2Fimago1043848627-69a199591903a548101409.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Imago \/ Visionhaus<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Despite having played a game fewer than Arteta&#8217;s Arsenal side heading into this weekend&#8217;s round, City will need to remain unblemished across their final eight league matches to overtake the North Londoners.<\/p>\n<p>While they have no European distractions in the season&#8217;s final stretch, Guardiola&#8217;s side will need to draw inspiration from the 2023-24 side, which won their final nine matches after a 0-0 draw with Arsenal at the Etihad in late March to pip Arsenal to the title.<\/p>\n<p>However, City&#8217;s longest winning streak since then has been six games \u2014 November to December 2025 \u2014 and they also have a goal difference deficit of seven goals to make up in the run-in.<\/p>\n<p>With nine points separating them from Arsenal in the <strong>Premier League table<\/strong>Guardiola&#8217;s men may have left it too little, too late this time, although stranger things have happened.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Manchester City have never gone consecutive years without winning the Premier League title since Pep Guardiola took the reins in 2016, and they may not intend to start now. This iteration of Guardiola\u2019s team are undeniably not at the same level as the Catalan\u2019s vaunted teams, but they hope to replicate what previous title-winning teams [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4769,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arsenal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4768\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}