Pep Guardiola plays down significance of Kyle Walker tweet

Pep Guardiola has brushed off the significance of a tweet from Kyle Walker which appeared to mock Manchester City's title rivals Liverpool this week.

The City defender tweeted a picture of Leicester defender Harry Maguire with the caption: "So basically they thought they were gonna go 7 points ahead..." after the Foxes held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday.

The social media post was quickly deleted and City boss Guardiola did not appear interested in the matter when asked at a press conference on Friday.

Guardiola said: "I'm not concerned about the social media of the players, what they tweet or Instagram, or other social media. I cannot control it."

Guardiola dismissed a suggestion the tweet could provide extra motivation for Liverpool who, after City lost at Newcastle on Tuesday, still extended their lead at the top of the table to five points this week.

"I don't think so," Guardiola said. "The motivation to win games from ourselves and the opponents always increases not for one tweet or another.

"The opponents always do many things against us and nothing happens. Motivation is our game, that's what we have to do."

Guardiola is expecting a response on the field as City take on Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The loss to the relegation-threatened Magpies at St James' Park prompted a long dressing-room examination after the game.

He said: "It doesn't matter if we are five, six, seven, eight points – it doesn't matter. We have to improve our game, that's the issue. We've done it before and I know we can do it.

"Of course we analyse, we talk about our game and see what we have to improve – the way we have to attack some defensive structures like Newcastle's.

"It will be different against Arsenal. We did it in the past, so that's why we analyse what we've to do and don't repeat what we have done in the last game."

Guardiola added that he had "no idea" when captain Vincent Kompany, who has been out for a month with a muscular problem, would be fit to return to action.

Left-back Benjamin Mendy is back in training and could be in contention to face Arsenal.