Guardiola gives City players ultimatum to win Premier League
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said the Premier League title will come down to a midweek matchup in North London. City controls its destiny regarding the Premier League, and it can enter the final matchday in the Premier League atop the table with a win at Tottenham. Yet, if it drops points at Tottenham, the title race is over, according to the Spanish manager at least.
“If we don’t beat Tottenham, we’re not winning the league,” Guardiola said.
Mathematically, that is not a true statement. Arsenal has played 37 games and it has a one-point lead over City. Even if Manchester City drops points at Tottenham, an Arsenal loss or draw in the final matchday against Everton would reopen the door for Manchester City. Yet, Mikel Arteta’s side is in fine form, just like City. The Gunners have defeated Chelsea, Manchester United and this same Tottenham side in the last month.
Regardless, Arsenal’s best chance to win the Premier League this season lies in the hands of its bitter rivals. Manchester City has dominated the Premier League for years, but one side it has continuously struggled with is Spurs. Despite managerial turnover in north London, Manchester City has dropped points in seven of its last nine Premier League fixtures against Tottenham. In the current campaign, Tottenham forced a draw at the Etihad in a breathless 3-3 affair. In February last season, Harry Kane’s lone goal was enough to deliver City a loss.
City can put one hand on Premier League title with win at Spurs
That will be a major task to repeat for Tottenham in the penultimate game of the season. Manchester City is on blazing form as usual, and the side has not lost a game since Dec. 6. The last team to hold City to a draw was Arsenal in that scoreless affair from March. That led to a seven-game win streak in which City has won every game by multiple goals.
Additionally, Tottenham has not been convincing in recent games. A four-game losing streak has nearly plunged Tottenham out of Champions League contention. Only a comeback victory against relegation-bound Burnley was enough to organize some form of momentum for Tottenham going into perhaps the toughest game of its season. Injury issues will also be a concern as both Yves Bissouma and Richarlison are out of this game against Manchester City. Both featured in that draw at the Etihad earlier in the season.
‘Win-win’ for Tottenham?
Now, Arsenal will be hoping for a similar performance out of Tottenham. Yet, success is not at the forefront of Spurs’ supporters. A conglomerate of fans is debating the benefits and drawbacks of picking up a win versus denying Arsenal a chance at the title. Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has shot down any notion of hoping for a loss or draw against Tottenham by jabbing at Spurs fans hoping for a loss.
“If you go by social media, there’s probably 99 percent of Spurs supporters who don’t [want to win against City], if that’s your world, but please don’t tell me that’s your world … we’ll need to have a counseling session,” Postecoglou said.
He added Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will create a raucous atmosphere for the game. Kickoff is set for Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET. Coverage is available on USA Network and Universo.
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