Premier League: Guardiola predicts title race twist after Newcastle win

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has shared his thoughts on the Premier League title race after closing the gap on leaders Arsenal.

Pep Guardiola has downplayed Manchester City's chances of an unbeaten run-in, insisting his team will drop more points in their Premier League title chase against Arsenal.

His comments came after City secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. A brace from Nico O’Reilly, with his goals coming in the first and 27th minutes, was enough to seal the win, despite a Lewis Hall equalizer for the visitors.

The result narrows the gap at the top of the table, putting City just two points behind league leaders Arsenal, who are set to face Tottenham in the North London derby on Sunday.

The City manager believes that winning all of their remaining 11 league fixtures is an unrealistic expectation.

Guardiola makes title race prediction

"I promise you many things are going to happen," Guardiola stated after the match. "I have the feeling we’re not going to win all the games. I don’t know about Arsenal, but I have the feeling we’re not going to win every game."

Guardiola pointed to the demanding schedule as a key factor, with commitments in multiple competitions likely to take their toll.

"This is my feeling, because come FA Cup, come Champions League, travels... many, many games, injuries are going to come, many things are going to happen," he explained.

While acknowledging the significance of the win, which also strengthened their Champions League qualification hopes, Guardiola stressed the need for composure.

"The best way is to relax now and focus on Leeds, then we’ll see," he added. "Was it a perfect game [against Newcastle]? No. Is it an ideal game? No. But we were a team, a team like the way you need to be at this stage."