Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City must be ‘patient’ in the Premier League title race and has opened up on the competitiveness across the division.
City are aiming for a fifth Premier League title in six seasons, but have ground to make up at the top of the table. Guardiola’s side are fourth, five points behind leaders Liverpool with a game in hand.
The first half of the season has promised the most exciting title race in recent campaigns, and Guardiola believes an improved ability for the teams down the bottom to get results has opened up the Premier League this season.
“We have to be patient. Don’t make mistakes. We have to play with intensity,” Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference, ahead of facing Sheffield United.
“It was just one game [against Everton] Always you have to make results. The lower teams in the bottom they get results. This season it’s common for them teams that are struggling to get the results in a more comfortable way. That’s how tough it is.
“Let’s not give up and go game-by-game. No. It [outside noise] is what it is. We are used to it. Inside we have to be calm and we keep going because the Premier League is so long.
Manchester City host a Sheffield United team who are battling relegation this weekend. The Spaniard said his side must be cautious against the bottom-placed Blades, who brought back former manager Chris Wilder this month.
“Against a team with Chris Wilder, what it was in the past were a few problems against Sheffield. We win by a little, little margin in the past. I saw their games and it will be so, so tough.
“They defend so, so deep and play long balls to McBurnie and the other ones. What they do they do really well. We try to be focused on what we have to do. Don’t make mistakes.”
