Erling Haaland urges Man City ‘to not think’ about title rivals Arsenal… as Pep Guardiola claims the Gunners will not ‘drop any more points’ in the run-in
- Both Arsenal and Manchester City achieved important victories in the Premier League
- The Gunners are one point ahead, but City still have a game in hand over their rivals
- Phil Foden reveals what it’s REALLY like to play for Pep Guardiola in one It all starts special. Listen on Spotify , Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Erling Haaland warned Manchester City to forget Arsenal’s title challenge or risk driving themselves ‘mad’ as they pursue a fourth successive Premier League crown.
The Norwegian scored the decisive score in the second half shortly after coming on as a substitute and although City did not play particularly well, they will clinch the title if they win the remaining four games.
With his father Alfie watching from the director’s box, Haaland scored his 21st league goal of the season and once again topped the scoring charts clear.
“I think the most important thing is not to think, especially in these moments,” Haaland said. ‘It’s about taking it day by day. Honestly, if you think too much you’ll go crazy in your head, so relax for now, enjoy it and focus on the next one.”
City were without Phil Foden and Ruben Dias due to illness, while John Stones and Haaland were alone on the bench.
Erling Haaland scored his 21st Premier League goal of the season against Nottingham Forest
Pep Guardiola claimed rivals Arsenal are unlikely to ‘drop any more points’ in the build-up
Premier League leaders Arsenal achieved a crucial victory over arch-rivals Tottenham earlier in the day
Having played at Brighton just three days earlier, Pep Guardiola’s team appeared to be short of energy and the Catalan believes his players have no room for error in the build-up, with Arsenal a point ahead.
He said: ‘I don’t think Arsenal will drop any more points. It’s just like what happened with Liverpool in the past.
‘We still have four games to go and it’s like climbing a big mountain. If we draw, we won’t win the league. The performance here was not particularly good.’
Forest remain just one point above the relegation zone and two of their last three games are against Sheffield United – who have already been relegated – and 19th-placed Burnley.
The club expect to hear this week whether their appeal against the four-point deduction they received for breaching Premier League spending rules has been successful.
Boss Nuno Espirito Santo said: ‘Hopefully we hear it soon and we can deal with reality. It will make a big difference – not just for us, but for the whole league.”
