Pep Guardiola urges Man City to make sure they take title fight to final day
By Andy Hampson, Press Association
Pep Guardiola is determined to take the title race to the final game of the season.
Guardiola’s Manchester City have two games of their Premier League campaign remaining and need favours from elsewhere if they are to overhaul leaders Arsenal.
Yet the City manager refuses to concede the fight and is focused solely on ensuring the battle goes down to the wire.
Guardiola said: “The important thing is to arrive at the end with options.
“All we want is to be with our people in the last game to try to fight. To extend for these last four or five days what we have to do is win at Bournemouth.”
It has been a busy spell for City and the club have been frustrated by the scheduling of both this rearranged game against Bournemouth and last week’s clash with Crystal Palace.
Yet they will head to the south coast in buoyant mood after beating Chelsea in Saturday’s FA Cup final to secure their second trophy of the season.
Guardiola said: “It’s a different competition but it’s better to travel to Bournemouth with the feeling that we won the FA Cup than the opposite.
“It should have not happened what happened, so we have to go to Bournemouth to get the result.”
2026 FA CUP WINNERS!!! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/PnpoFE0Yol
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 16, 2026
Guardiola expects a difficult encounter at the Vitality Stadium as they face a side unbeaten in 16 games and pushing for European qualification.
He said: “They are 16-17 games unbeaten. The run is unbelievable.
“The only chance we have is to win the game. We have to break that run, otherwise it will be over.
“When you arrive in the last fixtures and you are playing for something important, and the opponent is not playing for anything it is always easier.
“That is not the case tomorrow and they have had 10 days just thinking about us. Now we start to think about them.
“But it is what it is. We are used to it. It is not complicated. We have to win.”
City have had little time for training but do have a fully fit squad following Rodri’s return to action at Wembley.
“Unfortunately that could not happen six months ago with this calendar,” said Guardiola.
“Playing every three days we don’t train much. I want energy and the mindset in the right spot.”
