Pep Guardiola says Manchester City have to avoid being distracted by other teams’ results in the Premier League title race as they prepare to face an “exceptional” Chelsea at the Etihad on Saturday.Defending champions City are second in the table, level on points with Arsenal and two adrift of leaders Liverpool, with a game in hand, as they hunt an unprecedented fourth consecutive English top-flight title.Guardiola’s team have won their last 11 matches in all competitions.”When you arrive at the last eight to 10 games we will see how many teams will be involved (in the title race),” the City manager said on Friday.”I think these three will be there but the distance between fourth (Tottenham) and fifth (Aston Villa) is also so minor.”It doesn’t matter if there are two, three or four as long as we win our games. Win our games and do our job – the rest doesn’t matter.”All injuries and no play makes Jack a dull boyChelsea’s form this season has been patchy and they remain in mid-table, but Guardiola knows his side cannot afford to take Mauricio Pochettino’s men lightly.”It’s an exceptional team in all departments, (it’s) one of the toughest games we have until the end of the season,” he said. They’ve been playing really well in the last games. They have everything – intensity and quality.”Most teams are defined by if they don’t lose the ball and it’s difficult to find a player who loses the ball. They are a really good team. It’s a tough one tomorrow.”England international Jack Grealish has been ruled out of Saturday’s clash after being forced off with a groin injury in City’s Champions League win at FC Copenhagen on Tuesday.Former City forward Cole Palmer will be returning to the Etihad Stadium for the first time since he joined Chelsea for £40 million ($50 million) in September.The 21-year-old City academy graduate has been one of Chelsea’s standout players this season.”Of course (we’re pleased for him),” said Guardiola. “He is a lovely lad and he helped us to achieve what we achieved.”We didn’t have any doubts about his quality. The way he is playing, he’s a star player. He’s already an exceptional player. He moved on to get the minutes he has. It was just a matter of time and he has shown his quality.”Pep Guardiola will be looking to improve on his record against Chelsea as Manchester City manager. pic.twitter.com/32teWb5mNl— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) February 16, 2024 Pep’s collegue from the opposite dugout, Mauricio Pochettino, has promised his Chelsea side will attack Manchester City when they travel to the Premier League champions’ Etihad Stadium on Saturday.Chelsea and City drew a memorable game 4-4 at Stamford Bridge in November, with former City player Cole Palmer scoring a penalty in stoppage time for the hosts to snatch a point.Chelsea have endured mixed fortunes since, losing half of their 12 league fixtures, though they could climb to a season-high seventh place with victory against Pep Guardiola’s side, depending on results elsewhere.With 14 games to go, Chelsea have already scored three more league goals than they managed in the whole of the previous campaign, when only four sides netted fewer.Chelsea manager Pochettino insisted there was no chance his team would sit and wait for City, who have lost just once at home in the English top flight in almost two years, to come on to them.”If we go there and wait to see what’s going on, it’s a team that can dominate you and will make you suffer,” the Argentine said on Friday. “The most important thing we realised is that we need to attack, be able to run and to make the effort all together.”The most important thing is to go there and be brave, to challenge them.”Jose can’t go to Africa because everyone loves him too much – and call him daddy!Saturday’s game will be the first time Palmer has returned to the Etihad since his £40 million ($50 million) move to west London in September.Before making the switch, the 21-year-old scored for City in this season’s Community Shield, which was lost on penalties to Arsenal, and in the UEFA Super Cup win over Sevilla.He is top scorer for his new club, with 12 in all competitions, and has been arguably the standout success of co-owner Todd Boehly’s £1 billion transfer spend.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Palmer had previously hinted he joined Chelsea because he feared he would not get sufficient game time at City.”He’s not the type of player that needs to prove anything,” said Pochettino. “I think he really is very grateful for his period at Manchester City, (but) he left the club because he wanted to find another challenge and to have the possibility to play more.”Man City have an amazing squad. (Clubs) make decisions that we think are the best for the team. It doesn’t mean someone is not a good player.”Sometimes the circumstance doesn’t match. Players want to leave and you can’t stop them because you can’t provide the game time.”Guardiola, speaking at his own pre-match press conference on Friday, said it was no surprise that Palmer had done so well.”The stats and the way he is playing, he is already an exceptional player,” he said. “He got the minutes he wanted and it was just a question of time – he has shown his quality.”ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUESaturday15.30: (5.40) Brentford (4.00) Liverpool (1.62)18.00: (9.50) Burnley (5.30) Arsenal (1.32)18.00: (3.10) Fulham (3.60) Aston Villa (2.35)18.00: (2.50) Nott.Forest (3.45) West Ham (2.95)18.00: (1.83) Newcastle (3.70) Bournemouth (4.20)20.30: (1.37) Man.City (5.10) Chelsea (7.75)Sunday17.00: (5.10) Sheffield Utd (3.70) Brighton (1.70)19.30: (4.10) Luton (4.00) Man.Utd. (1.80)Monday23.00: (1.80) Everton (3.60) Crystal Palace (5.10)***odds are subject to change
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