Pep Guardiola has warned that Manchester City and Arsenal could suffer similar slip-ups to those experienced by Liverpool, leaving the Premier League title race wide open. City, who have a game in hand, reduced the gap on leaders Arsenal to just one point on Thursday night with a resounding 4-0 victory at Brighton. Meanwhile, Liverpool have dropped to third and are now three points adrift following damaging defeats at home to Crystal Palace and rivals Everton on Wednesday evening. Despite City’s impressive form, Guardiola is urging his team to remain vigilant ahead of their trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday. He emphasized that complacency is a dangerous mindset, as evidenced by Liverpool’s recent struggles. “Many things can happen. What happened to Liverpool, against Crystal Palace and Everton, can happen to us. It can happen to Arsenal. Nobody is safe from that. So be calm, be happy today for the victory. The players are still there. Now just recover and think of the next one,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “We have been here in the past but that doesn’t mean just for the fact we’ve been here that it’s going to happen. We have to do the things to make it happen.” In his post-match press conference, Guardiola further emphasized the unpredictability of the Premier League, highlighting Everton’s impressive performance against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest’s fighting spirit in their battle against relegation. “Everton are playing to stay out of the relegation zone. In a similar game, we’re going to Nottingham Forest who are playing for their lives,” Guardiola said. “Maybe because they were a real contender for many years, my appreciation for Liverpool is higher than ever. The game they drew at Old Trafford, the chances they missed, or [Wednesday], [Jordan] Pickford was exceptional with two or three saves in the important moments.” Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne echoed Guardiola’s cautious optimism, acknowledging Arsenal’s strong form while expressing confidence in his team’s ability to perform. “I trust my team obviously, all respect to Arsenal and Liverpool because they are amazing,” De Bruyne said. “Liverpool dropped points but Arsenal are doing what they need to do so we also need to do our job. “That is to try and perform well against Nottingham Forest (on Sunday) and try and win that game, we just have to keep going, don’t get ahead of ourselves and stay humble enough to perform at our best.”
Guardiola Warns City and Arsenal of Liverpool-Like Slip-Ups
