Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola refused to concede that his side was out of the title race despite a 0-1 loss to Aston Villa on Sunday, amidst fellow title contender Arsenal’s superb start to the season.
Matty Cash’s first-half goal ended the Sky Blues’s nine-match unbeaten run. They currently sit fifth in the standings, six points behind league leaders Arsenal.
“We have to try to close it [the gap], Arsenal have been solid for many years, this time the concern is how we can improve and to be close [to them],” Guardiola said.
“I was worried before the [September] international break when we were 14th in the table and they were seven or eight points in front. Our job is not to look at the table. If they win all their games and win the league, congratulations to them, that’s all we can do. But I have the feeling the team is alive, the team is good,” he added.
This was Manchester City’s third successive loss at Aston Villa, who kept their in-form striker Erling Haaland from scoring — the first time the Norwegian has gone goalless in 13 games.
Guardiola’s men will now take on Swansea City in an EFL Cup clash on Wednesday.
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