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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola remains defiant in his belief that his club’s Premier League title challenge is far from over, despite a damaging 1-1 draw against West Ham on Saturday.
The result leaves City nine points adrift of leaders Arsenal, who secured a crucial 2-0 win over Everton just hours earlier.
City took the lead through a first-half goal by Bernardo Silva, but Konstantinos Mavropanos equalised for West Ham before the break.
Despite having a game in hand and facing Arsenal at home in April, City’s faltering form has led many pundits to write them off. However, Guardiola refuses to concede defeat, insisting, “It’s not over. Who said that? We didn’t lose. We will continue.”
Guardiola acknowledged the challenge, noting, “Nine points is a lot against Arsenal, but we have the game at home. We have to try until the end.”
City’s form has been inconsistent, with draws against relegation-threatened West Ham and Nottingham Forest, and a crushing 3-0 defeat at Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Despite these setbacks, Guardiola remains confident in his team’s ability to fight back.
“We have an incredible team, spirit,” he said, referring to their recent efforts in Madrid. “We play so good but we didn’t score enough goals when we had the quality, and they punished us.”
With just eight matches remaining, City’s title hopes are hanging by a thread, but Guardiola’s optimism remains unshaken. He added, “It’s so difficult, but we have a game in hand, this game at home against Arsenal. We must be there.” The clash with the Gunners in April is now a pivotal moment in their title race.
