Pep Guardiola says he ‘got the message’ from Arsenal as Man City win record title

Pep Guardiola has praised Arsenal after Manchester City collected a record-breaking fourth consecutive league title on Sunday.

A 3-1 win over West Ham United on Sunday ensured City finished top above Arsenal, who won 16 of their final 18 but still ended up two points behind Guardiola’s side.

It’s the second season in a row that Arsenal have pushed City and finished in the runners-up spot. On a weekend when Jurgen Klopp bowed out of Premier League football, Guardiola claimed it feels like a changing of a the guard in terms of his side’s main title rivals.

“Before it was Liverpool to push our limits and now it is Arsenal. I want to congratulate them from the depths of my heart for Mikel [Arteta], his staff and players. They have had an incredible season. I feel it and they push us to our best like before. 

“We got the message from Mikel and his players. We have to make the right decisions in the next years because they are here to stay. He is young. You see Declan Rice, [Martin] Odegaard, [William] Saliba, Gabriel, [Kai] Havertz and [Bukayo] Saka. 

“They are so young and have experience in the Champions League. For two years were close [in the league]. We compete incredibly well and again and for a little margin we won it. We did it and I am incredibly pleased.”

As for City, this title win cements their name in the record books, and will, in the eyes of some, mean they are now considered England’s greatest-ever side. After Guardiola listed through the excellent Liverpool and Manchester United teams from yesteryear - and why their fans will think they’re no.1 - he spoke about his immense pride at being the first top-flight manager to achieve this unique accolade.

“In terms of numbers, nobody has been better than us - the records, the goals, the points and four in a row. If I land here tomorrow and you say I will win six Premier Leagues in seven years, I would say ‘are you crazy?’.

“It’s impossible. We have done something unbelievable. Six Premier Leagues in seven years, in this country with the modern football and the teams and everything. The teams and the organisation surprise me, is an incredible club.”