Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believe Newcastle United have emerged as serious title contenders.
Newcastle will look to keep up the pressure on Arsenal by beating Leeds on Saturday before facing the Premier League leaders at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday in a game that could yet blow the title race wide open.
Currently third, seven points behind Arsenal and two adrift of champions Manchester City, Newcastle have been the season’s surprise package and are its most in-form team with six successive wins and also boast the division’s meanest defence.
Guardiola admitted that he was one of those who didn’t expect Newcastle to be in the top three at this stage of the season, but said their August draw with the Blues and subsequent run of results proves they shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Asked if they could keep their form up, Guardiola said: “Nobody knows, I don’t know what’s going to happen but if they continue to play with this consistency…
“When we played them in our third game and we drew 3-3 after going 3-1 down I was in the locker room and everyone [outside] was saying, ‘Ah, City, the champions, dropped two points to Newcastle, how s*** they are’. But I said they are so good. Joelinton, Saint-Maximin, Guimaraes, Trippier, the structure, all the guys.
“I remember Eddie Howe was more cautious in Bournemouth but, pfff, they [Newcastle] were so intense, aggressive and I said, ‘Wow’. But honestly and maybe Newcastle couldn’t expect them to be in the position like they are now. But they have shown this consistency like the best teams do, and they create more and concede few [goals].
“When you are able to go to Tottenham and play like the way they did. I saw the game. And in general how they play. After 30 minutes or so at Leicester, it’s 0-3. Newcastle can do it, of course they can do it if they continue to do [what they are].”
And Guardiola also thinks the fact Newcastle do not have the distraction of European football this season could work in their favour.
Sending a warning to his City players, he said: “It’s a big advantage, I think so, definitely, just focussing on one thing, it’s much better. They are in the Carabao Cup still but it’s better, yeah.
“It’s not about Arsenal and Newcastle, it’s about ourselves. We won the leagues because we were ourselves. If you are there it depends on how you perform, not because in the recent decade we were the best team in England. It’s not about that.”
Eddie Howe has sought to keep a lid on expectations this season but did not rule out Newcastle maintaining their title charge when quizzed on the subject on Friday. Asked if they can win the title, the Newcastle manager said: “I wouldn’t say we can’t, so I think that’s probably the best way to answer it, if that makes sense.
“To this point I’m very proud of the group and everyone connected with the club and what they’ve given, which is 100 per cent effort. I’ve seen a real collective force and I’ve seen people putting the team ahead of their own self-interest.
“I don’t think you can have the success we’ve had this calendar year without that so the challenge is to maintain that and improve that and that’s what we’ll be looking to do in the New Year.”
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