- Guehi scored first Premier League goal in Man City colours in 3-0 win vs Chelsea last week
- £20M January signing from Crystal Palace is in fine form alongside Abdukodir Khusanov
- City face Arsenal and Mikel Arteta on Sunday in Carabao Cup final repeat
Manchester City defender Marc Guehi has told his teammates to take inspiration from their Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal into Sunday’s meeting with the Gunners.
City have mounted significant pressure on the Premier League leaders by reducing the gap to the top of the table to three points, with goals from Nico O’Reilly, Guehi and Jeremy Doku helping the Blues earn a 3-0 win over Chelsea last week.
Pep Guardiola‘s side had a golden opportunity to close the distance between second and first place after Arsenal suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday – and City did not pass on the chance as three second-half goals at Stamford Bridge helped them take a giant step towards a possible title hijack.
Predicted Starting Line-Up: Manchester City vs Arsenal (Premier League)
Mikel Arteta’s faltering Gunners face a clash of the titans against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, with the winner of the fixture widely expected to go from strength to strength and lift the Premier League title in May.
It’s about stepping up in these moments, says Guehi
Guehi has made a fast start to life under Guardiola since joining Manchester City from Crystal Palace for £20 million in January, forging a strong partnership at centre-half with Abdukodir Khusanov in recent weeks.
In conversation with Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News ahead of Sunday’s clash with Arsenal, the defender said: “In these moments, it’s about stepping up, the players stepping up, the team stepping up and I said it last week, it’s about arriving at the right moment.”
The former Eagles skipper has established himself as one of the first names on the Manchester City teamsheet, scoring his first league goal for the sky Blues against Chelsea last week. “A lot of us did that and there were good performances from the whole team,” the 25-year-old added after the win at Stamford Bridge.
Guehi: Carabao Cup final win vs Arsenal gave us confidence
City and Guardiola will be taking a leaf out of their Carabao Cup final win book from March as they head into Sunday’s league meeting with the Gunners, having beaten the north Londoners at Wembley three weeks ago to lift their first trophy in two seasons.
“I think the trophy (Carabao Cup) definitely gave us a lot of confidence,” Guehi said. “It doesn’t mater what trophy it is, it’s a trophy and it helps the football club so everyone is just focused on the next day, the next game and just try and be consistent as possible.
Pep Guardiola gives Manchester City squad two days off before monumental Arsenal clash
“I just want to play every game, it doesn’t matter when, where or what type of game. I’m just glad to be at this football club and to be given the opportunity to do so.
“Since I’ve come here (to Manchester City), it’s been great. Every moment I’ve been here has been a blessing because I’m so grateful to learn off so many good players, so many winners and it’s important to take each game and each day as it comes.”
Guehi is expected to start alongside Khusanov in defence against Arsenal on Sunday as Manchester City look to hand a crucial blow to the Gunners’ hopes of a first league title in 22 seasons with what will be a fourth win on the trot for the Blues.
