LONDON — Pep Guardiola said Manchester City do not feel extra pressure even though they realistically need to beat Crystal Palace on Wednesday to keep their English Premier League title hopes alive.
City, with three games left, are five points behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.
Failure to win at the Etihad would mean Mikel Arteta’s side could clinch their first Premier League title for 22 years against Burnley.
Guardiola was asked at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday how much pressure City were under after recent results, including last week’s damaging 3-3 draw at Everton.
“Same one, two days, three days, four days ago, one week, two weeks, same one,” he said according to AFP.
The City boss, chasing a seventh Premier League title in nine seasons, said he had not seen his players to gauge their mood since the dramatic end to Arsenal’s match at West Ham on Sunday.
The Gunners won 1-0 after relegation-threatened West Ham’s last-gasp equaliser was ruled out following a lengthy VAR check.
“I learned from my career as a manager, what you cannot control, forget about it,” said Guardiola.
“(Focus) and do better what we have not done better this season to fight for the Premier League. We are still fighting and (next it is) Crystal Palace.”
Palace host Arsenal on the final day of the Premier League season, just days before they face Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final, but Guardiola said he was not concerned at the prospect they could field a weakened team.
“They are so professional, the teams,” he said. “Crystal Palace will play top. We saw Leeds yesterday against Spurs (a 1-1 draw), how even being out of the relegation battle… how they compete.”
Guardiola said Rodri and Abdukodir Khusanov were both “better” and that he would decide after training on Tuesday whether either were ready to return to action.
City face Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday, still in the running for a domestic treble after winning the League Cup earlier this season.
