Pep Guardiola said Manchester City will make sure they are “there just in case” Arsenal slip up in the title race — despite saying player fatigue forced him to rest star forwards Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku and Rayan Cherki in Wednesday’s 3-0 win against Crystal Palace.
City moved to within two points of leaders Arsenal with both sides having two games to play following the victory against the UEFA Conference League finalists.
But with City having to face Chelsea in Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley before playing Bournemouth and Aston Villa in the final week of the league season, Guardiola acknowledged that tiredness is catching up with his players.
“It depends on them [Arsenal],” Guardiola said.
“If they win two games — nothing to do, nothing to talk.
“All we can be is in there just in case,” he said. “The last two games are tough.
“And we all we can do now is go to sleep as quickly as possible and prepare for the FA Cup. That is what we have to do.
“But it’s not just FA Cup final,” he said, “it’s Bournemouth three days after. So travel to London, they [players] will be at home with wife and kids, so fatigue, fatigue.”
Guardiola made six changes to his side to face Palace and kept 26-goal top scorer Haaland on the bench for the whole 90 minutes. But with three games in the final week of the season, he said he will continue to rotate his squad.
“I have full confidence in all the squad,” he said.
“If we lose today, we know [it’s over], but then we bring the hope in the last game. The next contender, Bournemouth, wow, look what they are doing, and then Unai Emery [the final game against Aston Villa] is not easy.
“I cannot ask for more from the players,” he said. “We are going to go Wembley to win, and we have to be ready physically and mentally against a team who are not in the best season, but the quality is there.
“Of course, they will do their best, and we have to do our best to try to win.”–BBC
