Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes that his team will need to take 24 points from their final eight games to stand a chance of winning the Premier League title this season.
Reigning champions City sit third in the table with 67 points after 30 rounds of fixtures. Arsenal are second with 68, while leaders Liverpool have 70.
City’s goal difference (+38) is also currently inferior to that of Arsenal (+48) and Liverpool (+42).
Speaking on the eve of Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace, Guardiola told BBC Sport: “The quality of the opponent is why we have to keep going and at the end we will realize which team is there.”
After facing Palace, City’s remaining EPL fixtures will be against Luton Town, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Fulham and West Ham.
Winning their last eight games in a row may not be enough for City to retain the title.
City’s hopes rely on both Liverpool and Arsenal failing to take maximum points between now and May 19.
When asked if he expects City’s rivals to drop points, Guardiola replied: “I hope so but that does not solve our problem if we didn’t do our job.
“We have to win the eight games we have left and wait. What we have to do is win our games. We only control our destiny in our games. That is all.”
If City win all of their remaining games then they will end the season with 91 points – which is two more than they won the title with in the 2022/23 campaign.
City’s average final points tally over Guardiola’s first seven seasons in the Premier League has been 89.29.
