“They are starting to…” Pep Guardiola makes bold Arsenal claim which could hand Man City title race advantage

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has suggested that title rivals Arsenal could struggle in the Premier League due to their involvement in the Europa League.

The Gunners are currently two points clear of City following their 1-0 win against Leicester on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Guardiola's men thrashed Bournemouth 4-1, but have played one game extra.

Despite the Gunners' slender advantage, Guardiola reckons their European campaign could take its toll.

Guardiola rates Arsenal's title chances

The Spaniard told BBC 606: “Many games, still many things are going to happen.

“I know how good they [Arsenal] are, I know we cannot drop points, but now they are starting to play Europa League as well.

“Many things are going to happen. They are going to drop points. We are going to drop points. The team who drop less points will be champions.”

Arsenal face Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday March 9 where they will hope to transfer their domestic form onto the European stage.

Meanwhile, Man City played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie against RB Leipzig on Wednesday, setting up a grand stand finale at the Etihad next month.

Only time will tell whether Arsenal's busy schedule will get the better of Arteta's young side.

However, the Gunners boss still has plenty of players to choose from, with the likes of Fabio Vieira giving him "headaches" when selecting his starting 11.

Meanwhile, former Man City striker Gabriel Jesus is said to be making good progress on his return to the side after suffering a long term knee injury before the World Cup.

Speaking ahead of the Leicester game, Arteta mentioned the Brazilian was "pushing the boundaries" in order to get back to full match fitness.

“He’s progressing really well,” he said. “He’s doing more and more on the field and he’s not reacting [negatively], so that’s really positive."

Topics: Pep Guardiola, Arsenal, Manchester City, Mikel Arteta, Europa League, Premier League, Football

Joe Adams

Joe is a Journalist for SPORTbible with a primary focus on football. He has previously covered a number of other sports including boxing, rugby and F1. Wishes he was born left-footed.

@joeadamsjourno