Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was full of praise for his side’s display in their 2-1 win over Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
A first-half brace from Nico O’Reilly either side of a Lewis Hall equaliser helped the title chasers to a fifth consecutive win in all competitions, with Arsenal facing Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday evening.
City are just two points adrift of Mikel Arteta and co, though Arsenal will have played an additional game by the end of this weekend’s round of games as they look to prevent a dangerously reliable hijack from Guardiola’s men.
In a post-match interview with TNT Sports, Guardiola expressed his delight at his side’s performance as well as the conducing atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
“The team was unbelievable,” the Catalan said. “We know every game until the end will be like this. Today (against Newcastle), we had the best crowd of the year – it was unbelievable our people – and I’m really, really proud to be manager of this incredible people, fans, and so on.”
Adding on his praise for the atmosphere in the stadium against the Magpies, Guardiola said: “Always I say to the players, ‘We have to play for the Manchester City fans’. I have incredible respect for them,” in his post-match press conference.
“Sometimes they cannot come for the price, for many reasons, because we play in midweek for example at 8pm, and the day after the kids have to be at school, the father and mother has to go to work.
“And today, tomorrow is off, tomorrow is Sunday, so it’s perfect, and look at the opponent. We need that, I encourage them to come, we try to do our best, we don’t want to disappoint (them).”
After a poor January that saw their title chances come under question, City have momentum firmly on their side as they embark on the final lap of the Premier League campaign, with Arsenal worried by the late challenge posed by Guardiola’s troops on yet another occasion.
Every game is a final in the remainder of the Premier League campaign for both Manchester City and Arsenal – but there is a great richness of title wining experience in the former’s dressing room and an equally inexperienced group of players challenging for a first league title in 22 years from north London.
It remains to be seen how far Manchester City and Arsenal can sustain their sensational push for an unprecedented quadruple, with it being the first time in the history of football that two sides from England will be competing on all four fronts come March.
Guardiola has handed three days off to his players after Saturday’s crucial win over Eddie Howe’s man as City’s first-team squad rest and recuperate ahead of a trip to Elland Road to take on Leeds United next week.