Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated that his team needs to improve if they are to catch Premier League leaders Arsenal. Despite a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, February 8, 2026, Guardiola believes that City still has work to do to overcome the Gunners' strong position.
City's win at Anfield, their first in front of a crowd since 2003, saw them reduce the gap between themselves and Arsenal to six points, after Arsenal's win over Sunderland. Goals from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland secured the victory for City after Dominik Szoboszlai's free-kick had given Liverpool the lead. The match was filled with late drama, including a disallowed goal from Rayan Cherki and a red card for Szoboszlai.
Guardiola acknowledged Arsenal's strength and consistency, suggesting that it would take more than just a slight improvement for City to compete with them. "I have a feeling that improving a little bit will not be enough to compete against Arsenal," Guardiola said. He did, however, express optimism, emphasizing that there are still 13 Premier League games remaining and that City will have the opportunity to play Arsenal at home. "We have to play them at home, of course we have to beat them," he stated.
The City manager highlighted the challenges of the Premier League run-in, particularly when facing teams fighting relegation. He pointed out that these teams have long weeks to prepare, while City is also competing in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Champions League. Despite these challenges, Guardiola insisted that City would "breathe down the neck of Arsenal" and capitalize on any slip-ups.
After the game, Bernardo Silva said that the title race would have been over if City had lost to Liverpool. Guardiola responded by saying he was more optimistic than Silva. He noted that it would be difficult for Arsenal to lose more than three games, but in football, "you never know".
Guardiola also alluded to Manchester City's spending, saying that he wants the club to spend more money. He said that in the past five years, Manchester City's net spend was seventh in the Premier League.