Pep Guardiola has indicated that Manchester City could see their Premier League title hopes fade if they fail to secure victory against West Ham United on Saturday.
City currently sit seven points behind league leaders Arsenal FC, after a costly draw at home against Nottingham Forest allowed the Gunners to extend their advantage at the top of the table.
Although the reigning champions still have a game in hand and are set to face Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium in April in what could be a decisive encounter, City have struggled with consistency this season and have dropped important points at key moments.
Their recent struggles were further highlighted in Europe, where they suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie earlier this week.
Meanwhile, West Ham have shown signs of improvement in their push to remain in the top flight. They secured an away victory over Fulham FC in their last match and have lost just once in their last five away games at Anfield.
With the return leg against Real Madrid scheduled for Tuesday and the EFL Cup Final approaching next week, Manchester City face a demanding run of fixtures that could define their season.
Speaking ahead of the West Ham clash, Guardiola said:
“Tomorrow night we have a game, an important one for the Premier League position. Then we have the second leg,’ Guardiola told a press conference on Friday (via Metro).
“We’re used to it, no? For many years we’ve lived these kind of situations.
“Now it’s West Ham and after that we will have time to think about it. Play the game you have to play and after the game will dictate if you have a chance or not.
“We don’t have many dollars in the bank but we will see on Tuesday. Now it’s West Ham.
“The Premier League is the most difficult title. We’re still there, knowing that if we drop points it will be over.“
