Pep Guardiola has warned his players not to take their eye off the Premier League because it would be “almost impossible” for Manchester City to retain the title if they drop any points in their final seven matches of the season.
City travel to Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime knowing a win would put pressure on title rivals Arsenal and Liverpool before they face Brighton and Manchester United respectively this weekend. City sit third, three points behind the leaders, Liverpool, and two points behind Arsenal in second. Asked if his team were able to focus on Palace with an important European away trip to follow – City travel to Real Madrid for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday – Guardiola said: “We won the treble last season, we arrived in the semi-finals of the Champions League, won the Premier League, it’s always been like that.
“Honestly if we were 18 points in front of second in the Premier League, I would have two eyes on Madrid. But it’s not the case. We’re third, not far away from the top of the Premier League, but if we drop points it will be almost impossible [to win the league]. So we have to win that game.”
“I love it,” Guardiola said of the Premier League. “Of the domestic trophies, it is the most important – Premier League or La Liga. I’m not going to say the Champions League is not nice, of course it is. So now we have it and know how it feels in our soul and we are at peace, for the fact we’ve got it. But it’s just the nicest because it’s more difficult, there are more games, you know every week, two or three games.”
Nathan Aké and Kyle Walker will be missing at Selhurst Park but Ederson could return, leaving Guardiola with a decision to make about who will start in goal. Stefan Ortega has conceded once since coming off the bench to replace the Brazilian at Liverpool. “Stefan is playing really good, so we have to think about it,” Guardiola said. “I will speak with [goalkeeper coach] Xabi [Mancisidor]. Maybe we will give Ederson a little bit more time or maybe not. We will see tonight and tomorrow.”
