Pep Guardiola has delivered a strong message to his Manchester City squad as the Premier League title battle with Arsenal reaches a dramatic climax.
The Manchester City manager insisted his players cannot rely on referees or VAR decisions if they want to retain the title this season.
Instead, Guardiola believes City must take control of their own destiny by winning matches convincingly.
The Spaniard’s comments arrived after Arsenal benefited from a controversial VAR intervention during Sunday’s clash with West Ham.
The Hammers thought they had rescued a late equaliser, only for the goal to be ruled out after a foul on David Raya was spotted during the review.
While Guardiola refused to directly criticise the specific incident, he made it clear City cannot afford to focus on officiating decisions.
Moving forward, the City boss stressed that his side must rise above any controversial calls and concentrate purely on performances on the pitch.
Guardiola also referenced previous moments where City felt hard done by, including last season’s FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United and the controversial Dean Henderson incident against Crystal Palace at Wembley.
Nevertheless, the veteran manager maintained that City only have themselves to blame whenever silverware slips away.
“We play in this game, we go to Bournemouth and the last game in Aston Villa we will do it too. The important one is tomorrow and we will see what happens to the next games,” he said.
Meanwhile, City’s immediate focus switches to Wednesday’s crucial showdown against Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium.
Victory would pile pressure back on Arsenal and keep Guardiola’s men firmly in control of the title race.
Furthermore, the City boss is expected to keep his squad fully focused during the final stretch, knowing that any dropped points could hand Arsenal a decisive advantage.
As the campaign heads into its closing weeks, Guardiola’s latest comments underline the mentality inside the City camp — win matches first, leave the refereeing debates behind.
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