Pep Guardiola wasted no time delivering sharp remarks to Arsenal after Manchester City crushed Chelsea to close the gap at the top of the Premier League.
On 13 April 2026, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s manager, spoke after the latest Premier League match last night, where his team impressively defeated Chelsea—one of the clubs competing for a UEFA Champions League spot—3-0 away.
This win brought Manchester City’s total to 64 points from 31 matches, leaving them six points behind league leaders Arsenal, while the "Citizens" still have one game in hand over the "Gunners" in the current Premier League standings.
The Manchester City boss commented on the victory over Chelsea, saying, "The second half was better. The first half wasn’t bad, but not exciting. We attacked down the left with Nico O'Reilly and Jérémy Doku, but we didn’t attack on the right at all. In the second half, our attitude improved; we threatened the opponents more, which is why we pushed to score, and the quality of the game made the difference."
Pep also praised Riyad Mahrez’s outstanding performance and his two assists in the game: "He was fantastic. He is an incredibly talented player—that’s what I have wanted from him for a long time."
"In the first half, he played close to Donnarumma. In the second half, he played closer to Haaland. That’s the difference. His abilities need to be shown in the attacking third, not near me, and he did that well in the second half."
The Manchester City manager spoke about Nico O'Reilly’s ninth goal in all competitions this season: "In the Carabao Cup final, he scored twice, and today he showed his skills again. He has enormous stamina and can track Estevao and other top wingers."
Regarding closing the gap on Arsenal, Pep said, "We are about to play a team that has lost only three games in 49 matches and remains unbeaten in the UEFA Champions League."
"In the Carabao Cup final, City was the clear underdog. No one in this country would have bet even one pound that we would be much better than them. Maybe now things are a bit different."
"I have great respect for Arsenal for what they have done over the past few years. I know their manager, players, quality, and how they compete in every situation. That is our biggest challenge. There are tactical issues; we might have to make some adjustments."
"They are the best team in this country and in Europe so far. Beating Arsenal once is already difficult; imagine beating them twice within a few weeks—that’s how tough it is. We need to rest."
"I want to tell my fans to respect Arsenal a lot. They are a great team. Cheer for us from the start because the players will give their all."