Pep Guardiola makes Man City priority clear for Arsenal battle as he pinpoints key title race factor

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about how the team have and haven't prepared for the run-in

Manchester City players know the pressure is ramping up in the Premier League - and Pep Guardiola is backing them to embrace it. The Blues go into the final third of the season after a fortnight without a midweek game as they look to reel in Arsenal at the top of the table.

Guardiola has given his players the best part of a week off in that time, only bringing them back in on the Wednesday before their Saturday games. The manager joked about wanting them to drink cocktails after their win over Newcastle as they look to enjoy their position with four trophies still in play.

City's squad have impressed Guardiola on each of their returns to training, but there could easily have been more sessions. The team have struggled with their build-up this season and tailed off in the second half too often, which the coaching staff had been keen to address.

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How much improvement has been made in this fortnight will soon become evident but Guardiola is happy for his team still to have shortcomings going into the business end of the season. Whatever issues they still have, a man who knows how to win titles is confident that fresh minds can help the mentality of his players to overcome any problems in their hunt for silverware.

"There are still things that we should train and practice more but I prioritised rest. With three months left, there are many things that the team have improved and still some things that the team has to improve but now it is [about] the little details," he said.

"We talk many times about the same concepts and in my point of view now it is how it is in your brain and your mind will make the difference. Maybe for the new players it is new but we talk a lot in many meetings for many years that when you arrive in the last three months in all competitions being there everything is here [points to head]."

City have been boosted by the return of several players from injury in recent months, and the form of Rayan Ait-Nouri has allowed Nico O'Reilly to push forward into the midfield. The academy graduate has three goals in his last two games and has shown himself capable of playing in all of the three lines in front of the defence that have made for a successful formula for the Blues.

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Even if Guardiola is unwilling to discuss the title race in public, his players are happier to do so and O'Reilly knows that there is increasingly more at stake with every game they play. What is a much younger team than recent years is embracing it though as they look to keep pushing Arsenal.

“There’s a lot more pressure," he said. "We go into the game knowing we need to win. All we need is three points. It’s about keeping a clear head and mind - keeping our heads down, working hard on the pitch - that’s what it comes down to.

“We just need to keep applying pressure now - every three points counts. We just need to keep going - we still have to play Arsenal here. There are teams still fighting and chasing - it’s a tough situation to be in but we just need to stick together and keep going.”

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