Pep Guardiola says anything less than a victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime will end Manchester City‘s title hopes.
City still have ground to make up on Liverpool and Arsenal in the title race, and face a Champions League quarter-final visit to the Bernabeu to face Real Madrid on Tuesday.
The City manager admits he has not even watched video of the Spanish giants yet, such is his focus on the Premier League, the competition he values more than any other.
And he claims he and his club are ‘at peace’ having won the Champions League for the first time last year.
‘Honestly, if we were 18 points in front of second in the Premier League, I would have two eyes on Madrid. But it’s not the case,’ said Guardiola.
Pep Guardiola says Manchester City can’t afford to drop points when they face Crystal Palace
Guardiola isn’t thinking about Real Madrid as he is focusing on the Premier League title race
‘We’re third, not far away from the top of the Premier League, but if we drop points it will be almost impossible. So we have to win that game and after that we will have more time, not for recovery, but to prepare.
‘I have not had much time to see Real Madrid. I said, when we have been fighting for nine or 10 months for the Premier League, why should I be distracted now from this important game against Palace, when the distance is so close?’
Indeed, with City kicking off before their rivals on Saturday, a 4-0 victory would actually put the defending champions in first place, for a few hours.
And, as he aims for an unprecedented fourth straight league title, Guardiola admits the league is his main focus, this and every year.
‘I love it. The domestic trophies, it is the most important – Premier League or La Liga,’ he said. ‘I’m not going to say the Champions League is not nice, of course it is.
‘So now we have it and know how it feels in our soul and we are at peace, for the fact we’ve got it.
‘But it’s (league) just the nicest because it’s more difficult, there are more games, you know every week, two or three games. The Champions League, of course, is important, but it depends on something you perhaps can’t control.
‘Both are incredibly important, but the Premier League proves a lot. It shows the mentality of the team, being there all the time for many, many years. For me personally, from my education at home or whatever, every day you have to do the best – that means a lot to me personally.’
According to Guardiola domestic success is more important than the Champions League
Guardiola believes Phil Foden is a contender for the Premier League player of the year award
Guardiola will have to decide how to manage Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, left out for the midweek win over Aston Villa, over the next two games.
But there is no doubt that with that duo below last season’s standards, 21-goal Phil Foden has emerged as a candidate to win Premier League player-of-the-year honours.
‘I think he’s a contender, like many others,’ said Guardiola. ‘There are many players who play a really good season, not just Phil. But I think he can be a contender, for sure, because of the numbers, the consistency, the level of his game.’
Goalkeeper Ederson could be in contention after recovering from injury but Nathan Ake and Kyle Walker remain sidelined at Palace.
