Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, stated on Friday that he will treat all of his remaining matches in the Premier League as finals to thwart the resurgence of rival Liverpool. He urged his team to leverage their previous experience in clinching the title in the final moments.
City, currently at the top, has amassed 77 points from 32 matches, leading Liverpool by just one point. Liverpool is relentlessly pursuing to deny City a chance to win back-to-back league titles, while Watford, their opponent on Saturday, is battling to avoid relegation.
Guardiola emphasized that these factors necessitate his team to develop a decisive mentality and deliver a knockout blow to their rivals. He told a press conference: "Certainly, we cannot afford to drop any points, and the same applies to our competitors."
City and Liverpool engaged in a similar title battle three years ago when Guardiola's side edged out the Merseyside team by one point on the final day of the season.
Guardiola said: "The players know that; we have been in this situation before. We will aim to prepare the injured players, and we will remain focused. When Saturday's match ends, another match awaits us in three days in the Champions League (against Real Madrid). Then Leeds United. We have to be ready and comfortable until the moment of the match."
He added: "We must win, but we need to play well first to achieve the desired result. Results are not guaranteed, but victories are the most important thing at this stage."
Kyle Walker's condition will be assessed before the match following a leg injury, and defenders John Stones and Nathan Aké are facing late fitness tests due to some discomfort.
