Guardiola urges Manchester City to rack up goals in Premier League title race

Pep Guardiola is urging his Manchester City side to rack up the goals in a title race that could go right down to the wire.

The City boss not only thinks the Premier League could be settled on the final day of the season, but that it could come down to goal difference.

Champions City currently trail leaders Liverpool by three points but could return to the top – on goal difference, albeit having played a game more – with victory at Everton on Wednesday.

City’s goal difference stands at plus 46, five better than Liverpool’s, having scored 66 goals prior to the game at Goodison Park.

Guardiola said: “The first message is to win the game and the second one is; if you can score, score and if you can avoid conceding, do it because maybe you could win the Premier League on goal difference.

“While we are not going to say to the guys today we have to win 25-zero – I never say that – first you have to win the game and then second try, because it can happen.

“I’m pretty sure the winner will be the last fixture or the last two. I’m sure of that.”

City have been reinstalled as title favourites by bookmakers following Liverpool’s wobbles in the past week. Jurgen Klopp’s men have looked nervous in successive 1-1 draws against Leicester and West Ham.

But Guardiola is not reading too much into that yet, particularly with plenty more to occupy his mind this month.

Wednesday’s clash is followed by a visit from Chelsea on Saturday while February is further crowded by assignments in three other competitions.

City’s Champions League challenge resumes with a trip to Schalke, they face Chelsea again in the Carabao Cup final and there is also an FA Cup fifth-round tie to fit in.

He said: “When I was abroad – and before I came here – everyone talked about December, December.

“After that and Boxing Day was finished and I saw the schedule and said, ‘But this is worse – even worse’. February is tougher than December.

“Now we have Chelsea and they can prepare all week, and we know how well (Maurizio) Sarri will prepare for the game. We have Schalke and the final of the Carabao Cup, and the Premier League.

“But it is what it is. I prefer to be there.”

Guardiola sees reaching the end of February as a psychologically-important landmark in the season.

He said: “When you arrive in March, from my experience, and the days are longer, your training sessions are in better conditions, the sun is here, you see the end of the season is closer, the pitch is in better conditions, you can take a coffee outside – and in that situation you are in four competitions – wow, it’s an extra plus.

“Now you are realising we can do something special.

“But we are not, right now, in that position because this month is terrible in terms of every game is a final.”