BURNLEY V CITY

PEP Guardiola has issued an ominous message to City’s title rivals - insisting the Premier League leaders are showing no signs of wilting under the pressure of their pursuit of the Quad.

United manager Jose Mourinho yesterday conceded defeat in the race for the title, with the Blues sitting 15 points clear of the Reds at the top of the table.

They can extend that lead to 18 points with victory against Burnley in the lunchtime kick-off today, with United facing Huddersfield at 3pm.

And while Guardiola has previously raised concerns about the effects of challenging on all fronts, he insists his players remain as sharp as ever.

“Winning helps with our mood,” said the City manager. “There are less injuries, we have injuries, but always with the trauma, not muscular and that means a lot.

“I think it is because they are young, they believe what they do and because winning helps you to be in a good mood.

“It influences your behaviour. If you are more sad you have more chance to get injured.

“Still we have four months, every three days we have a game and a lot of things can happen.

“But in one week or 10 days Fabian Delph is coming back and Gabriel (Jesus) and Phil Foden and they will help us with this amazing calendar.”

City need eight more wins to be crowned champions and could claim the title with victory against United on April 7.

But despite Mourinho’s concession at his press conference yesterday, Guardiola refuses to indulge his long-time rival’s claim.

“We play every game with a sense of what we are doing,” he said.

“I know the distance, 15 points, is quite good in this moment. It was the same three, four or five games before, but in football, in sport, anything can happen. “We are good today, but tomorrow we can be bad. “A lot of things can happen. The most important thing we have done so far is focus on the next game. “Then after that, we will see. “Until everything is done, you have to be prepared for anything to happen, in my experience.” And Guardiola insists he is not thinking about winning the title with victory in the derby. “We can’t think about that,” he added. “It’s about winning the next one and then I don’t know what’s going to happen. “Maybe we have to postpone games, it doesn’t matter. “What is important is to try and fight to the end to be champions. That’s what counts the most. “The rest makes no sense, it is not important.” Pep Guardiola