Pep Guardiola has reminded Arsenal supporters that ‘they are not the champions’ ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League match against Liverpool on Sunday.
Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw by Sunderland on Saturday but still hold a six-point advantage over second-placed Chelsea.
However, Arsenal’s advantage at the top of the Premier League will be cut to just four points if City beat Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Guardiola believes he has seen an improvement in his City side, who have won eight of their last 10 games in all competitions, and while he admits Arsenal look ‘unbelievable’, the 54-year-old has dismissed any suggestion that the title race is already over.
‘I think we are learning to play better in different ways and still I have the feeling that defensively we are not, like I’m dreaming of,’ Guardiola said.
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‘We concede a few chances or goals, so we are in Premier League less than zero plus seven, six goals, so it’s fine.
‘Of course we cannot compare ourselves, they [Arsenal] are unbelievable. I think we are learning to play better against different shapes, man-marking or low blocks or deep that at the beginning we struggled a little bit to read exactly what we had to do. And like I said one month ago, I have the feeling that we are getting better.
‘I said yesterday, the big teams, when you win, from my experience, when you arrive at the end of April, May, to win the titles is how much you grew up from September, October and every month. The teams who win are the teams who grow. And that I had a feeling that we are getting better.
‘That means you are not going to set back in some games? Yeah, it can happen. But if we are consistent in the way we defend and the way we play and read a little bit better. After that it’s just body language, just passion and being to do it.
‘On Sunday we play against, right now, the champions. Arsenal is not the champion, the champion is Liverpool. They come here to defend the title. We experienced that.
‘And it’s a chance to prove ourselves against the last champions of the Premier League, what is our level, and I’m so excited to play.’
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