Ahead of crunch Arsenal title clash
Manchester City host Premier League leaders and title rivals Arsenal on Sunday. Midfielder Rodri admits there is no margin for error for Pep Guardiola’s champions, who look to create fresh history, David McDonnell reports for Mirror.
Rodri has admitted Manchester City cannot afford any slip-ups as they hunt down a repeat of last season’s Treble triumph.
City host title rivals Arsenal on Sunday, with midfielder Rodri claiming nothing but victory will do if Pep Guardiola’s champions are to win an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League crown. The Gunners top the table on goal difference from Liverpool, with Guardiola’s side a point behind, and Rodri knows there is no margin for error as the big prizes loom into view.
“It’s not just this game that’s like a final, it’s all of them from now until the end of the season,” Rodri said. “We’re still in every competition, but any game you lose can practically leave you out of the running.
“That’s the level that this league demands from you—to reach between 90 and 100 points to win. We’re fighting for titles, and in this league, a draw is almost like a loss due to the high bar.
“So we have to win practically every game, which starts against Arsenal, which is currently the league leader.”
No English side has managed to win the title four seasons in a row, with Rodri—unbeaten in 62 games for City—claiming that their experience of being champions can give them the edge again.
“We have experience from previous years in managing these situations of being in multiple competitions,” said Rodri. “When you get into the dynamic of playing every three days at the highest level, you enter this competitive rhythm, which can help you reach a very high level.
“Every game until the end is going to be a final. We must win it, and we must win it with our philosophy and way, which has been successful in the last few years.
“This is the moment to give everything. We have to play confidently, like in the last few years, and be humble enough to run more than the opponent and do more if we want to win. We can use our experience to try to fight again.”
City have another Treble in their sights, and Rodri said Guardiola’s players are not daunted by the prospect of successfully defending all three titles to make history. “The target for us is to put ourselves into a position where we can fight until the end,” said Rodri.
“We’ve been working on this to arrive now. Now is the moment to make the last push. The goal is to fight for everything. We’ll need our people with us to do that—we’re solid at home with our fans. We need to feel that heat that they bring.
“Our objective is this: If we could show that we could win everything we won last season, why can’t we do it again? The most important thing is that we’ve reached this point of the season still in every competition, which is exactly the position we wanted to be in.”
