Pep Guardiola would have been watching Arsenal and Liverpool very closely on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, and not just as an everyday enjoyer of the sport.
He would have seen Arsenal smash Chelsea 5-0 to go top of the table with now a goal difference of 57, and would also have seen Liverpool slip up against local rival Everton.
With two games in hand on Liverpool and Arsenal, his Manchester City team will return to the table, but those games in hand may not be played until May. For now, He needs a win against tricky Brighton to regain 2nd place spot, in order to stay uncomfortably close (for Arsenal) to Arsenal.
Erling Haaland did not feature against Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinal due to injury, though Guardiola’s men still won.
It’s unclear if Haaland would be available for this game, but Guardiola has other game changers, including Kevin De Bruyne.
Guardiola is aware that any slip up from here on in could be costly, especially with Arsenal seemingly flying high.
