- Arsenal play before Man City this weekend
- Could increase advantage to six points
- Pep Guardiola unbothered by scheduling decision
Manchester City return to Premier League action this weekend, but they will have to wait until Monday night to get going again.
Before City make their first ever trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Arsenal are playing Fulham on Saturday.
Should the Gunners come out on top, Pep Guardiola and his team will have their work cut out for them to get back on top
Pep Guardiola has no complaints with Man City’s next match
Having to play more than 48 hours after Arsenal could be a blow for City, especially considering they are already behind the league leaders.
However, Guardiola is content with what his team must do and he accepts the situation is out of his hands.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the manager said: “It is normal, it is the calendar. Sometimes you play first, sometimes you play behind.
“It is what it is. Arsenal are in the Champions League semi-final, so it is what it is. When we won the treble, we had a similar calendar, but I learned a long time ago not to expect anything different. We have to adapt and take it game by game.”
Asked about PSG having fixtures in Ligue 1 postponed, he added: “It can happen in other countries, but here it is what it is. We have to adapt. If you don’t like it, go and train in France or Portugal.
“I like being here, and I’ve said many times – when I was at Barcelona and saw managers here complain about the schedule – it has always been like this. So I never expected anything different.”
Arsenal could move six points above City
If Arsenal do enough to defeat Fulham, there will be a six-point gap between Mikel Arteta’s men and Man City.
They won their most recent home fixture against Newcastle, so there will be expectations of a victory on Saturday evening.
Despite this, Arsenal have wasted a chance to increase their lead before and even though they have gone two games unbeaten, the performances have not been hugely convincing. At least, for a team chasing a Premier League title anyway.
The Premier League title is still in Man City’s hands
All Man City need right now is a one-goal victory to move ahead of Arsenal. Therefore, provided Fulham do not suffer a heavy defeat, the Sky Blues are still in control of their own destiny.
By picking up wins against Everton and Brentford respectively, the 2023/24 champions would reclaim top spot again.
This is easier said than done, but City have been excellent recently and should remain high on confidence having won five successive matches in all competitions.
Whether they thrash their opponents or have to grind out a win, Man City keep finding a way to get the better of whoever they face, and Guardiola will want this to continue on Monday.
