Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insists the title race remains out of their hands despite beating Arsenal 2-1 on Sunday.
City closed the gap at the top of the Premier League to three points, with a game in hand, after Erling Haaland scored the decisive second-half goal.
Guardiola, animated throughout the contest, downplayed any sense of celebration after the final whistle.
“Hope, that game gave us hope. That’s all,” he said. “Enjoy the moment, but don’t lose focus. We are there, but we are not top of the league.”
He added: “If we finish level on points, they are ahead on goal difference. So the reality is still in their hands. But we have the chance to fight.”
The City manager praised Arsenal’s quality, dismissing suggestions they had lost momentum in recent weeks.
“When you see how they compete in duels, long balls and set pieces, they are an extraordinary team,” Guardiola said. “You cannot be top all season without that.”
At the centre of the contest was Haaland, who ended a two-month league drought while battling physically with defenders William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
“I think it’s always like this, a lot of fighting,” Haaland said. “I scored the goal, so in that moment I won the battle. It was decisive and we win.”
Guardiola acknowledged the striker’s recent struggles, pointing to the demands of playing every few days. “For a player like him, it’s not easy to sustain that physically,” he said.
The City boss also paid tribute to captain Bernardo Silva, who is expected to leave at the end of the season.
“When we write ‘legend’, it must be in capital letters,” Guardiola said. “He is a special, special player.”
City can draw level on points with Arsenal with victory over Burnley in their next match on Wednesday, keeping the title race firmly alive.
