Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, likened the challenge of securing the Premier League title to scaling a mountain as the season enters its final stretch. He emphasized the necessity for his team to triumph in all of their remaining four matches if they aspire to reclaim the championship.
Following a 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, Man City narrowed the gap to just one point behind leaders Arsenal, holding a game in hand which gives them an advantageous position in the title race.
To clinch the title for a fourth consecutive season, Manchester City must now navigate through their remaining fixtures against Wolverhampton, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham with victories.
Guardiola remarked, "With four games left, it’s like climbing a mountain. They are very tough games. The only thing is still we extend for one more week it’s in our hands. If we draw a game, we are not going to win the Premier League. It is what it is. We extend this in a difficult game. Now rest a little bit and prepare the next game."
Acknowledging the difficulty of the task ahead, the 53-year-old coach admitted that Nottingham Forest posed a significant challenge despite City's crucial victory. He noted the increased threat posed by the home side compared to their previous encounter, where Forest managed to secure a surprising 1-1 draw.
"It was really hard. Last season we drew and played much better than today. Knowing the circumstances that we arrived here, we knew the game that was going to happen. We were so lucky that the pitch was so dry. With the chances they had, with better pitch conditions, they would have scored," Guardiola reflected.
"We were incredibly fortunate for that. We suffered but when [Mateo Kovacic] came on in the second half and Bernardo [Silva] was involved in there, we were much, much better," he added.
