Pep Guardiola says Manchester City need consistency for remainder of season

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said that the team need to be consistent for the remainder of the season if they want to remain in the Premier League title race.

City have a reputation for strong late-season finishes that have delivered six titles during Guardiola’s near-decade at the club.

Pep’s side trails Arsenal by nine points and are on 61 points from 30 matches, although they hold a game in hand.

The title challengers have some tough tests to pass in their remaining fixtures, starting with Sunday's trip to Chelsea, followed by an important game against Arsenal on April 19 at home.

"Hopefully we can get a lot of points," Guardiola told reporters when asked about his side's usual late-season surge.

"In the situation we are in the Premier League, we need to win all of them, otherwise it will not give us the chance to try until the end.

"We have not been consistent enough this season. We have dropped points that we should have taken, which is why we are now in the position where we cannot do anything differently."

City’s season has been spoiled by injuries, with centre-back Ruben Dias still recovering from a muscle issue, while their star midfielder Rodri also missed action due to injury earlier.

Defender Josko Gvardiol has also been sidelined since January with a tibial fracture to his right leg, and is not yet close to a return.

Guardiola was also questioned about midfielder Bernardo Silva’s future, after the assistant manager Pep Lijnders hinted on Sunday that this could be the Portuguese international's last season at the Etihad Stadium.

Silva, 31, who joined Manchester City from AS Monaco in 2017, has won six Premier League titles and the Champions League with the club, and his contract expires at the end of the season.

Guardiola said he did not know about Silva’s intentions but made clear his desire to keep him at the club.

"He is not the tallest one, the most muscular one, or the guy who scores 50 goals or makes 50 assists a season," Guardiola said. "These are the types of players that get the spotlight. But after nine years, I know him quite well and I know what a manager requires.

"All managers love him because he is incredibly competitive and has a fire inside him. In the toughest moments and on the biggest stages, he is always there.

"He has been an incredible signing for us. I love this club and I would love for him to stay and finish his career here, but I do not know. He will decide what he will decide. It is his decision."