Guardiola Declares ‘Real Season Starts Now’

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola announced that the team’s true competitive stretch starts immediately as they focus on overtaking Premier League leaders Arsenal.

City reduced the deficit to four points before the international break, delivering a dominant 3-0 win over champions Liverpool after Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw at Sunderland.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Newcastle United, Guardiola was asked whether those contrasting results could prove a turning point in the title race.

The City manager acknowledged the need to stay close to an Arsenal side he described as “impeccable,” stressing that allowing them to extend their advantage further could make the chase significantly harder, even though the campaign is still at an early stage.

He said the situation reminded him of past battles with Liverpool, noting that in those seasons both teams rarely dropped points, making any gap difficult to close.

He hinted that last season’s title, won by Liverpool with four matches to spare, offered a similar lesson.

Guardiola, who has guided City to six Premier League titles, insisted that nothing would be resolved in November.

He said the season effectively splits into two parts: before the summer transfer window closes and after the autumn international break.

With the latest break now finished, he said the period ahead—when clubs play every few days until March—marks the start of the “real season.”

He emphasised the importance of staying within reach of the summit so that City can enter the final stretch of the campaign with a genuine chance of defending the title.

A victory at St James’ Park would bring City to within a point of Arsenal, who face Tottenham at home on Sunday.

Guardiola confirmed he will be without midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Rodri for the match.

He said the rest of the squad is fit, while Rodri is making encouraging progress nearly three weeks after his latest setback.

Guardiola noted that the Spain international needs time to recover fully, both physically and mentally, to ensure long-term consistency.