We now have the player to help us win — Guardiola sends message to Arsenal

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has issued a warning to Premier League leaders Arsenal, insisting his team will be better despite dropping points against Sunderland.

The title race took another twist over the festive period. While Arsenal emphatically ended Aston Villa’s 11-match winning streak with a 4-1 thrashing at the Emirates, Manchester City saw their own eight-game winning run halted by a frustrating 0-0 draw against Sunderland on New Year’s Day.

The result leaves the Gunners four points clear at the summit and back firmly in control of their destiny.

Despite the New Year's Day setback, Guardiola was buoyed by the return of Rodri, who made his first appearance in two months as a half-time substitute at the Stadium of Light.

“When you miss the best player in the world... he was an amazing player who helped win a treble and four Premier Leagues in a row,” Guardiola said, reflecting on the Spaniard's long road back from a serious knee injury.

“You miss him, of course. More than a year and a half has passed, which is a lot of time.

“At the end of last season, what we achieved, overcoming the problems we faced, was one of the best seasons our team has ever had,” he noted.

“We have health, a pretty good sense of humour, so 2025 was a nice year. We shouldn’t judge a season just by whether you win the title or not. There are bigger things in life than that.”

However, the City boss remains convinced that with the "best in his position" back in the fold alongside other returning stars, the champions are ready to hunt Arsenal down.

“Obviously, with Rodri, we are a much stronger team. There’s no doubt about that.

“I think with some players back, like Jérémy Doku and John Stones, it will help us. A lot of players have been hurt for a very long time. I’m pretty sure that we’ll be better.”