City boss says packed schedule is part of success as champions juggle title race and domestic cup commitments

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said his team cannot use their demanding schedule as an excuse if they fail to win the Premier League title.

Guardiola’s side, currently second, are three points behind Arsenal as the season enters its final weeks.

City’s title charge could be affected by a fixture pile-up after their matches against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth were rescheduled to fall around the FA Cup final against Chelsea on May 16.

The changes mean City will play three matches between May 13 and May 19.

The Premier League champions will then conclude their campaign against Aston Villa on May 24.

Reports indicate City were unhappy with the rearranged fixtures, particularly as the Palace game, originally scheduled for March, could have been moved earlier.

However, Guardiola has accepted the situation as part of the demands that come with competing at the highest level.

According to him: “It is what it is. When we won the treble and the quadruple, we always had this kind of calendar.

“It could be better, but I have never expected help. We’ll take it game by game.

“If you don’t like it, go and train in France or Portugal. I like being here, and I’ve said many times, when I was at Barcelona and saw managers here complaining about the schedule, it has always been like this.”

This season’s chase could deliver a seventh Premier League title of the Guardiola era, with City battling an Arsenal side that surrendered significant leads in the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.

City are set to face Everton next and could fall six points behind Arsenal if Mikel Arteta’s men defeat Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The Everton clash will be the first of City’s two games in hand in what is shaping up to be a tight title race, potentially decided by goal difference or goals scored.