Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola sends title warning to Arsenal

MANCHESTER, England – Pep Guardiola said Manchester City’s 3-0 victory over Liverpool on Sunday was a clear sign his side are ready to challenge Arsenal for the Premier League title, after cutting the gap at the top to four points.

Goals from Erling Haaland, Nico González, and Jérémy Doku secured the emphatic win at the Etihad Stadium, a result that arrived less than 24 hours after leaders Arsenal were held 2-2 by Sunderland. Guardiola described the performance as a “statement” display against the reigning champions.

“Liverpool and we probably thought, ‘oh wow, Arsenal dropped points,’ but I told the players not to focus on that,” Guardiola said. “Do it because we believe in ourselves — because we can play against the champions of England and show we’re ready to be there with them. Today we proved it.”

The victory marked Guardiola’s 1,000th game as a manager — a milestone he celebrated with what he called “an incredible present” from his team. “Thank you to the players and staff for giving me this gift against one of the toughest opponents of my career,” he said. “It was special to share this moment with my children and to see players like Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, and Mohamed Salah after all our battles.”

Doku, who won an early penalty before scoring City’s third goal, was singled out for praise after an electric performance on the left flank. Guardiola noted the Belgian’s maturity and improvement since joining the club.

“He’s demanding more from himself, and he listens,” Guardiola said. “He has special attributes with his dribbling. Conor Bradley impressed me a lot against Real Madrid earlier in the week, but Jérémy handled him well — he was aggressive, sharp, and outstanding tonight.”

The result strengthened City’s position in the title race as they continue to chase Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, with Haaland rediscovering his prolific form and new signing González settling seamlessly into Guardiola’s system.

City, who have won five of their last six league matches, will look to maintain their momentum heading into the decisive winter period. For Guardiola, the performance against Liverpool served as both a milestone and a message — that the champions remain firmly in the hunt.