Pep Guardiola sat before the press with that calm look on his face, the one that always hides a thousand thoughts. Reporters waited, cameras flashed, and microphones stretched towards him. It was a cold November morning in Manchester, and the question on everyone’s mind was simple: can Arsenal really win the Premier League this early? Guardiola didn’t need long to answer. He leaned forward, his voice steady, and sent out a message that would echo across England. “We are in early November and you cannot win the title,” he said, before pausing for a second, that familiar half-smile forming on his lips. “You can lose it, but you cannot win it.” Those few words carried the weight of years of experience, years of battles in title races, years of watching how easily momentum can shift in football.
For Guardiola, this was not just another statement. It was a warning. A message to Arsenal, to Mikel Arteta, and perhaps even to his own Manchester City players. He has seen this story before. A team flying high in the early months, confidence through the roof, media shouting about titles and dominance. But Guardiola knows how long and brutal a Premier League season is. He knows that November joy can turn into February panic in a heartbeat.
When he spoke, there was respect in his tone for Arsenal. He admitted they were doing something special. “If they continue in that way and don’t concede goals,” he said, “it will be almost impossible. But you always expect you will be better and they will drop points. It is exceptional what they are doing for two or three seasons. It looks like every time it is closer and closer.” There was admiration in those words, but also the sound of a man who is not ready to give up his crown. Guardiola has built Manchester City into a machine of precision, control, and relentlessness. But this season, things have felt different. Arsenal are flying. City are chasing.
As he sat there, Guardiola’s mind must have gone back to the battles he has had with Arteta over the last few years. Student against master. Mentor against apprentice. When Arteta left Manchester City to take the Arsenal job, many believed he would struggle. But Arteta has built something frightening at the Emirates. Arsenal look organised, mature, and hungry. Guardiola knows that. But he also knows how fast football can change.
Arsenal sit on top of the Premier League table with 25 points. Manchester City are second with 19. Liverpool are just behind on 18, tied with Sunderland and Bournemouth — two surprise packages of the season. The gap may look small, but Guardiola knows what it means. Six points in November can turn into twelve by December. The small cracks can widen. And that’s why he sent this warning now — before the race got away from him.
As he spoke about Arsenal, Guardiola’s words carried both fear and fire. “You can lose it, but you cannot win it,” he repeated, like a man reminding everyone — including himself — of football’s cruel timing. He knows City have been in positions like this before. In 2018, in 2021, and again in 2023, people said City were finished before Christmas. Yet every single time, they found a way back. That’s the mentality Guardiola wants his team to remember.
Liverpool’s new boss Arne Slot also had something to say about the title race, though his approach was calmer. The Dutchman made it clear that he was not obsessed with what Arsenal or City were doing. “I only focus on ourselves,” he said. “Our main focus is on consistency at the moment. We have lost a few games, much more than we usually do, and now we have won two, so our focus is on getting consistent and improving, getting players fit, and then we will see where that leads.” It was an honest message. Slot’s Liverpool are still finding their rhythm. New ideas, new structure, new expectations. But Slot knows that if you can find momentum in the Premier League, everything can change in weeks.
Still, Guardiola’s warning was the headline of the day. Because when Pep speaks, the league listens. For him to say Arsenal “cannot win it now” wasn’t disrespect. It was a statement of fact — a way to remind everyone that titles are decided in April, not November. He’s seen how pressure breaks even the strongest teams. He’s seen what injuries, fatigue, and Champions League distractions can do. He knows Arsenal are playing beautiful football, but he also knows that winter football in England is about something else entirely — survival, focus, and experience.
For Arsenal fans, Guardiola’s comment may sound like the voice of envy. But to those who know Pep, it’s not jealousy. It’s experience talking. This is a man who has fought every kind of title race — tight ones, dominant ones, dramatic ones. And he knows that the real test comes when your team faces its first real storm. Arsenal haven’t hit that storm yet. When the injuries pile up, when results stop coming, that’s when the truth of a champion is revealed.
In London, Mikel Arteta will have seen those quotes. He knows his old boss well. He knows Guardiola’s compliments always come with a hidden challenge. When Pep says Arsenal are “exceptional,” he means it — but he’s also reminding them that City are waiting, watching, ready to strike the moment they stumble. That’s how Guardiola operates. He loves the chase. He loves being doubted. And when the football world starts counting City out, that’s usually when they turn into monsters.
It’s not just the managers talking either. Former players and pundits have started to weigh in on this growing tension. Joe Cole, the Chelsea legend, recently said something that caught attention across England. “I believe Arsenal will run away with the league,” he told Paddy Power. “Liverpool will come back into the race, and I think Manchester City will come too, but I don’t think I’ve seen a team as strong defensively since probably our Chelsea team in the mid-noughties. I can really only be envious looking at Arsenal. It’s in their hands now — they’re ten furlongs ahead.” Cole’s words showed just how much admiration Arsenal have earned this season. But Pep Guardiola doesn’t believe in handing out trophies for early-season form.
Inside the Manchester City dressing room, Guardiola’s message was probably louder than what the cameras caught. He will be telling his players that this is not the time to panic. Not the time to read the newspapers. Not the time to think about Arsenal’s points. For him, it’s about rhythm, recovery, and response. City are still City. With Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, and Rodri, they have too much power to fade away. But they need to find that familiar spark again — the spark that turns good performances into ruthless victories.
It’s been a strange few months for Manchester City. They’ve had injuries, they’ve had slow starts, and they’ve had games where they didn’t look like themselves. But Guardiola knows that all it takes is one winning run to change the mood. City have done it too many times before.
For Arsenal, this season has been about proving they learned from last year. In 2023, they led the Premier League for most of the season, only to watch City overtake them in the final weeks. It broke hearts in north London. But this time, Arteta’s men look stronger, colder, more controlled. Declan Rice has added steel. Saliba and Gabriel have formed a wall. Raya and Ramsdale have shared the gloves with maturity. And Saka continues to shine as the symbol of their rise.
Guardiola can see it. He respects it. But he also senses the pressure that’s coming. Arsenal are leading the race, but now comes the hard part — staying there. The difference between being first in November and first in May is experience, and nobody in world football understands that better than Pep.
When the interviewer asked him if he truly believed Arsenal could fall off again, Guardiola smiled, the same calm smile that he gives before every big storm. “It looks like every time it is closer and closer,” he said. “But we are in early November.” Those words may seem simple, but they hide a message for Arteta: being close is not enough. Being calm under pressure is what wins titles.
As the Premier League table stands, the story is still open. Arsenal at the top, City chasing, Liverpool rebuilding, and surprise names like Bournemouth and Sunderland refusing to back down. The season has just begun, but the energy is already electric. Guardiola vs Arteta. Master vs student. It’s the kind of battle that defines an era.
In Manchester, Guardiola is preparing for the clash with Liverpool. He knows every game now is a statement. Beat Liverpool, and the gap with Arsenal starts to close. Lose, and the questions will grow louder. But Pep has never been afraid of pressure. He lives for it. He thrives in it.
As the press conference ended, Guardiola stood up, zipped his jacket, and walked out with that same calm focus. His words still hung in the air. “You can lose it, but you cannot win it.” It wasn’t just a comment — it was a challenge, a spark thrown into the fire of the Premier League title race.
Arsenal may be top now, but Pep Guardiola has sent a message that history never lies. The real champions are made when the lights dim, when the pitches freeze, when the noise gets loud. November is for talking. May is for lifting trophies. And Pep Guardiola knows that better than anyone.
The Premier League title race is alive, and once again, Pep Guardiola is right at the heart of it — smiling quietly, warning softly, and waiting for his next move.
