Before the most recent international break, City defeated champions Liverpool 3-0 after Arsenal lost in a 2-2 draw at Sunderland, cutting the gap with the Gunners to four points.

Before his team’s Saturday game against Newcastle, Guardiola was questioned about the significance of a possible momentum swing from those outcomes.

Although he stressed that the season was still relatively young, the City manager acknowledged that it was crucial to prevent “impeccable” Arsenal from gaining an excessive advantage.

“It will be hard to catch up if they can take a lot of distance, and I had the feeling that we would not drop many points when we fought incredibly against Liverpool in the past,” he stated.

He stated, “It was similar to Liverpool last season,” when they won the league with four games remaining.

Guardiola, who has led City to six Premier League titles, stated that nothing would be determined in November.

“The season is divided into two parts: the summer transfer window and the post-international break,” he stated.

“We’ll stay (together) until March, seeing each other every three or four days now that the international break is over. The actual season has begun.

“And the most crucial thing is to be there, to be near there, and then arrive at the conclusion of the season with the opportunity to fight for it.

“That is the goal, and winning tomorrow would undoubtedly be a significant step for us.”