Pep Guardiola has brushed off Arsenal’s recent slip-ups, insisting he “couldn’t care less” about their draws giving Manchester City a lifeline in the Premier League title race.

City moved to within five points of Arsenal, with a game in hand and a crucial home fixture against Mikel Arteta’s side still to come in April. A perfect run in their remaining 12 matches would see Guardiola’s men crowned champions for the fifth time in six seasons.

Despite the opportunity, Guardiola remains firmly focused on the immediate challenge: Saturday’s trip to Newcastle.

“I didn’t talk about the table, or our position or something like that. I could not care less,” he told reporters. “I didn’t talk about that for one second. Just Newcastle, Newcastle, Newcastle. If you ask me this question with two or three games left, I will have your answer. It’s 12 games left, it’s an eternity.”

Having won six league titles during his 10 years at City, Guardiola is accustomed to the twists and turns of the final weeks of a season. He also knows from experience how Arsenal have let leads slip in the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.

“Many things are going to happen until the end of the season. For now it is Newcastle, a rest, and after it Leeds. It has always been like that,” he said. “Seventy per cent of the players are new, so they don’t have the experience to live these kinds of situations. An experience is to win tomorrow. It is only one. Arsenal were nine points ahead when we had a game in hand, so whenever everybody is on the same games played, then after that we will see the difference. I understand you want to anticipate what is going to happen. That doesn’t count. It is Newcastle, that is all.”

Guardiola also addressed the wider issue of racism, following Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior claiming he was abused by Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni during their Champions League tie this week.

“There is a lot of work still to do. It is in the society, it is not just in football. Racism is everywhere,” Guardiola said. “You pretend that racism is just for the colour of the skin? How you behave is racism. It’s how you pretend you are better than the other one just for many reasons.”