London (AFP) – Although Pep Guardiola acknowledges that Manchester City would have a “advantage” over Arsenal due to an extra day of rest, the champions are worried about Kevin De Bruyne’s availability for the pivotal matchup with their rivals for the title.
Pep Guardiola’s team played at home on Wednesday in their Champions League draw against Inter Milan, while Arsenal had to wait until Thursday to travel to Italy for their goalless draw with Atalanta.
Guardiola believes the extra 24 hours of recovery could influence the upcoming clash between the two clubs, which have finished first and second in the Premier League for the past two seasons.
City triumphed in both title races, leaving Arsenal still waiting for their first league championship since 2004.
A win at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday would provide a crucial boost to City’s pursuit of a fifth consecutive Premier League title. Guardiola acknowledged the rare scheduling advantage with a touch of sarcasm.
It is an advantage, but I could make a long list of the times over the last six years we faced a tough team with less rest. It’s a very long list, he said.
However, City’s recovery advantage could be neutralized by the possible absence of Kevin De Bruyne, who left the field injured during the Inter match.
When asked about De Bruyne’s availability for the Arsenal game, Guardiola said: “He’s feeling a bit better today. We’ll assess him tomorrow during training. He might be involved.”
With Erling Haaland already netting nine goals this season, City remain the team to beat.
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