Pep Guardiola: I could not care less about how the Premier League table looks

Pep Guardiola insisted he “could not care less” about the tightening of the Premier League title race.

With a game in hand and a meeting with rivals Arsenal to come in April, Manchester City know, if they win all their remaining games, they will be champions again after the Gunners let a lead slip to draw against Wolves in midweek.

The gap is down to five points but, asked whether he feels City now have a better chance than they did a couple of months ago, Guardiola insisted his only focus is Saturday’s home clash with Newcastle.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen these next 12 games,” he said. “I didn’t speak one second about that with my players. Yesterday, the day before, just Newcastle, Newcastle and Newcastle.

“I didn’t talk about the table, I didn’t talk about the position. I could not care less. You tell me this question with two games left, three games left, I will have your answer.

“It’s 12 games left, it’s an eternity. Many things is going to happen is the only truth I have.”

Guardiola also batted away the suggestion his side’s experience of winning titles will come to the fore, adding: “Seventy per cent of the players are new so they don’t have experience to live these kind of situations.”

City enjoyed a rare midweek off, with Guardiola admitting they were exhausted ahead of last weekend’s FA Cup clash against Salford.

“The important thing is the players are revitalised,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of months with few days off. I don’t have to run one metre so for me it’s not a problem, after one or two days I sleep well, it’s enough. The players have trained good the last two days.”

Erling Haaland is set to return to the squad while Savinho is also fit having not played since the beginning of January with a thigh injury, but fellow winger Jeremy Doku remains sidelined.

One of City’s key players over the last month has been Antoine Semenyo, who has fitted seamlessly into the side following his move from Bournemouth.

Guardiola has been delighted with the form of the forward, saying: “It’s not just scoring a lot of goals in people that play up front.

“The versatility, he can play in all three positions, we knew it, and in Bournemouth they are exceptional in the rhythm and defensively so he has it in his DNA. The impact has been really good.

“He’s never played in the Champions League before and it’s a good test for him how he’ll react, but I’m pretty sure, with his mentality, he will handle that quite well.”

Guardiola, meanwhile, was also asked about the unsavoury scenes at the Champions League clash between Benfica and Real Madrid, where Vinicius Junior was allegedly racially abused.

“There’s a lot of work to do,” said Guardiola. “Racism is everywhere. Pay a lot to the teachers. The teachers and the doctors have to be the most important people in society by far, not the managers.”