Man City goalscorer Jeremy Doku laid down a marker to league leaders Arsenal and told them the “title race is on” ahead of their showdown next weekend – with even Pep Guardiola admitting his side are no longer underdogs.
City capitalised on Arsenal’s nervous home defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday with an emphatic second-half performance to claim a 3-0 win at Chelsea and move six points off the top with a game in hand ahead of the Gunners’ visit to Manchester next weekend.
Doku, who netted for the first time since November at Stamford Bridge, told Sky Sports he had to believe in City’s chances with their destiny now in their own control – and gave the Gunners a warning ahead of next Sunday’s game.
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“I would be crazy if I didn’t believe,” he said. “I believe the race is on. We have a big game now, we’re going to recover well and look forward to it.”
“I watched the Arsenal game and when I saw them lose, I saw that the Premier League is really unpredictable.
“We were also focused on our own game. Winning here is not a given, so that we did it today is exceptional.
“If we win [next weekend], it is a big punch towards them. If we lose, it’s in their hands and we have to wait for them to lose. But if we win, it’s in our hands and I prefer to have it in my hands.
“They will come with hunger. They don’t want to just give it to us so we have to go and take it. Trust me, we’ll be well prepared.”
Pep: City are ‘growing’
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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola looks ahead to their match with Arsenal next weekend and says how hard it will be to defeat the Gunners twice in a few weeks, following their Carabao Cup victory.
Guardiola was keen to remember the lack of faith in his side’s chances ahead of the Carabao Cup final last month, with leaders Arsenal favourites going into the game at Wembley.
Since the build-up to that game, City have gone on to beat the Gunners 2-0 to pick up the first silverware of the season, thrashed Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup and now closed the gap at the top following Arsenal’s slip-up this weekend.
“In the Carabao Cup final City were complete underdogs – there is not one person in this country that would bet £1 that we would be much better. Maybe now it’s a bit different,” he told Sky Sports.
“The respect I have for Arsenal, what they have done the last few years. I know the manger, the players, the quality, how they compete in every circumstance, that’s the biggest job we have. There is tactical issue, maybe we will adjust something.
“They have been the best team in this country, in Europe, so far. Beating Arsenal once is so difficult, imagine beating them twice in a few weeks. We have to rest.
“We are growing. We have long weeks now we are out of the Champions League. We are more fresh, in training, everyone knows exactly what they have to do.
“Three opponents, three Champions League teams. We perform not 90 minutes. We were solid enough, didn’t concede much, and the threat is there.”
