Guardiola relishes title run‑in as City keep pressure on Arsenal

MANCHESTER, England, May 9 : Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said he is "loving" the Premier League run‑in, despite his side no longer controlling their own fate in the title race as they chase leaders Arsenal.

City slashed Arsenal's lead at the top of the table to two points with three games remaining following their 3-0 thrashing of Brentford on Saturday.

But Guardiola's team need Arsenal to drop points during their final three games if they are to win the league title.

"It's not in our hands now," Guardiola said. "They have to drop points. The only thing we can do is win again and see what happens."

Guardiola said win or lose, the thrilling race to the finish has been thoroughly enjoyable. 

He pointed to his team's consistency as their unbeaten run in the league stretches back to mid-January while they also secured the League Cup title. With another major final still to come - the FA Cup against Chelsea on May 16 - City have had plenty to celebrate this season, regardless of how the Premier League finishes.

"I love it. I love to be here again, we'll finish second again in this season, minimum," Guardiola said. "Last season, we were fighting to qualify for the Champions League, was so difficult. 

"I love too Carabao (League Cup) in our pocket. We play an FA Cup final in Wembley, it is the most beautiful game of the season." 

City face a demanding schedule, with a home game against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, a trip to Bournemouth on May 19 before the season finale against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium.

"So our calendar is really, really demanding. But it's simple, it's just two weeks, and the season will be over," he said. "At the end, you can lose, but we'll try to do our job, and we see what happens."

The Spaniard