Pep Guardiola sends Declan Rice response after Arsenal star's title warning

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Declan Rice was seen telling Arsenal team-mates that the title race is "not done" after their defeat against Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola responding by saying he 'loves' the England midfielder's defiant message

Pep Guardiola has revealed he 'loves' the message Declan Rice was spotted delivering to his Arsenal teammates on the pitch in the immediate aftermath of their damaging defeat to title rivals Manchester City.

The England midfielder was visibly urging his colleagues that the title race is "not done" despite squandering the chance to deal City a decisive blow.

Instead, Guardiola's men sit three points adrift of Arsenal, and could even leapfrog them on Wednesday evening should they prevail in their game in hand against relegation-threatened Burnley.

When quizzed on Rice's rallying call, Guardiola was effusive in his praise for the midfielder's mentality, as both Arsenal and Manchester City prepare for an intense final sprint to the finish line.

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"I love that. I love that. That's why Arsenal is there," the City manager told Sky Sports.

"I saw it [on Monday] and it shows what Declan Rice means. That's the Arsenal mentality.

"We've faced it in the Premier League these [past] seasons and in the Carabao Cup. How competitive they are."

"Otherwise they can't have done the season they have done in the Premier League being there and being unbeaten in the Champions League, as you have Mikel [Arteta] but also these type of players that follow the message.

"And in the bad moments, they have the resilience [to say] we are there, we are there. That is a good example for us what we're going to face in the six games, five games [for them] in the title race."

Should Manchester City overcome Burnley on Wednesday evening, the two sides will be deadlocked on points, ensuring the title race remains very much alive. Arsenal are chasing their first league championship since 2004, while City are looking to secure a fifth top-flight title in six years.

When pressed on whether he had shown his players the footage of Rice declaring 'it's not done', Guardiola responded: "They know exactly what opponents we're going to face in the five games for them, six for us.

"If people think because we beat them, the title race is done, Declan Rice showed us that they are there."