Manchester City cannot blame their grueling schedule if their title bid fails, Guardiola says

Pep Guardiola has insisted that Manchester City cannot use the grueling schedule as an excuse if they fail to win the Premier League title.

Guardiola’s second team is three points behind leaders Arsenal heading into the final weeks of the season.

City’s title bid could be hampered by a fixture pile-up after the games against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth were given new dates either side of the FA Cup final against Chelsea on May 16.

Those matches had to be rescheduled due to City’s progress in both domestic cups, but the new schedule means three games in seven days from May 13 to 19.

The League Cup winner’s title campaign ends on May 24 against Aston Villa.

City were reportedly unhappy when the fixtures were confirmed, especially as they felt the match against Palace, originally scheduled for March, could have been rescheduled earlier.

But Guardiola accepted the situation as an inevitable consequence of success in English football.

«It is what it is. When we won the treble and quadruple, we always had such a calendar,» Guardiola told reporters on Friday.

«Of course it can be better, but I never expected help. We will do that and take it game by game.»

«If you don’t like it, go train in France or Portugal. I like being here, and I have often said that when I was in Barcelona and saw managers here complaining about the schedule, it has always been like that.»

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City are chasing their seventh Premier League title of the Guardiola era as they look to capitalize on Arsenal’s latest stumble in the title race.

The Gunners made significant gains, allowing City to lift the trophy in 2023 and 2024.

By the time City travel to Everton on Monday, they will be six points behind Arsenal if Mikel Arteta’s side beat Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

But the match against Everton will be the first of City’s two games in a race so tight it could be decided on goal difference or goals scored.

«It’s normal, it depends on the calendar. Sometimes you play first, sometimes behind,» Guardiola said.

“It is what it is and nothing changes at this stage – you know exactly what to do.”

Guardiola claimed he didn’t even know when Arsenal were playing when asked if he wanted to watch the match against Fulham.

«What time are they playing? It’s after training, so maybe I’ll watch it,» said the 55-year-old Spaniard.

Published on May 1, 2026