Pep: We won’t take our foot off the gas

GUARDIOLA INSISTS TITLE RACE ISN’T OVER

PEP Guardiola has told his City players not to change their approach for the final three games of the season despite knowing they are in pole position to be crowned Premier League champions ahead of Liverpool.

The Catalan has repeatedly insisted the Blues must win all of their remaining games to clinch the title since drawing with Liverpool last month to stay ahead of them by a point.

Anything less, he said, would hand Jurgen Klopp’s men the title as he expected them to win all their games.

However, Liverpool slipped up last week with a draw against Tottenham, with City moving three points clear by beating Newcastle, although they pulled level on points last night with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa. The Blues still have the title firmly in their own hands, but know their rivals are ready to pounce.

Explaining how he secretly thought Tottenham may have been Liverpool’s trickiest game, Guardiola said he will tell his players not to focus on the possibility that City could drop points and still win the title ahead of tonight’s trip to Wolves.

“The fact is if Liverpool need for example three, four or five goals in the last games to equal the goal difference, they will do it,” said the City boss.

“They have the ability to score a lot of goals out of nothing. I think we have a big job to do. It changes a little but nothing changes for the fact it’s one point or three points.

“Nothing changes mentally. We have to go for it.

“We have to win both our next games and West Ham, they are tough.

“I had the feeling that maybe Liverpool can drop one game against Tottenham because we both know how difficult it is to play against Antonio Conte. It can happen but we have to be prepared that we still have a job to do and you have to get the points.

“It’s nice to be there at the end again and it’s on our hands but we have to win games to be champions. It’s the only chance we have right now.”

And although Guardiola insists the Blues can’t drop their guard, he is full of praise for his side and the pressure they have been under, especially following the Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid.

“I think the players handle it really well,” he said.

“The last years have shown many times. Newcastle game, more pressure than we showed.

“They know it. We have players and we don’t practice anything. Just

be fresh mentally in the legs as much as possible for the Wolves game, for the battle that we have.

“They know exactly what they are playing for.

“It’s not for me to say ‘oh, if we win tomorrow we are close to being champions.’ ‘Oh yeah, good idea!.’ They know it. It’s how we attack and defend against a specific team like Wolves and let’s go.”

Insisting that City must maintain their mentality that only a win will do, Guardiola said the most difficult wins are those that are needed when the title is so close.

“It’s not going to change, I have to defend what we do on the pitch,” he said.

“The most difficult serve in tennis is the serve to be champions, we need six or seven points and we have to be our best to do them, we are not going to change our opinion.”