Manchester City are still very much alive in the Premier League title race, believes former Arsenal and City defender Gael Clichy.
It was a good night for Pep Guardiola’s side on Wednesday as they comfortably beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 with goals from Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.
That ended a seven match winless run in all competitions, which included six defeats, and lifted spirits at the Etihad.
Liverpool also drew 3-3 with Newcastle on Wednesday night, so City are back within nine points of the league leaders and Clichy says their hopes should not be dismissed just yet.
‘As long as mathematically it is not over you cannot count Man City out of the title race,’ the Frenchman said on Amazon Prime.
‘The Premier League is one of the most competitive leagues in the world. Three days ago there was a gap of 11 points and then the best team as of today, Liverpool, dropped points.
‘There are going to be twists and turns. For sure if they get their players back from injury Man City are going to be there, 100 per cent.
‘We are not talking about a team that has won the FA Cup or a Carabao Cup or the Premier League just once. City are a team that over the last ten years have won a lot, a Treble, four titles in a row, we have never seen this before. Maybe perhaps at times that is taken for granted.
‘People were clapping their hands because we are not used to seeing them lose, but you don’t perform this way for ten years just like that.
‘There is no perfection in football but over the last ten years Man City have been close. In the way that they play and the way that they have been run, City have been there.’
Guardiola knew things looked tough for his side after defeat to Liverpool at the weekend, but was not giving up on the title this early in the season.
‘I said before that game that we are not in the position with the results we are getting to think about big, big targets but the season is long,’ he said on Sky Sports. ‘We have to try to make a result, some players will come back
‘There are many things to fight [for] and we are going to try.’
Arsenal and Chelsea also had good nights on Wednesday as they both won and moved to seven points behind Liverpool, level on 28 points.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca had ruled his team out of challenging for the title this season before their win over Southampton on Wednesday, but if they keep picking up victories then that could change.
‘We’re not in the title race. We are not, in my opinion,’ said Maresca before beating the Saints 5-1.
‘What I said to the owners and the sporting directors the first time I met them, because of the age, and because of how good the squad is, for me Chelsea in the next five to 10 years will be one of the teams, or the team, that is going to dominate English football.
‘This is what I said this to the club the first time I met them. No matter who will be the manager, for the next five or 10 years, because of the age, the squad, you can dominate English football, and I still think exactly the same.
‘In terms of a target they didn’t ask me for any target, only to try to build something important for the next years. I think we are [heading] in the right direction.
‘In terms of a personal target, I know you struggle to believe but I’m not focused on [the] end of season, next season, because it’s not real.’
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