Mind the gap. Manchester City and Chelsea meet as they both find themselves on the wrong side of significant divides. Pep Guardiola finds himself with eight points to make up to Arsenal, Graham Potter with 10 to the top four. If there are plenty who still think the Spaniard’s City side will end up champions, there may be fewer who think the Englishman’s underperforming, underwhelming Chelsea team will join them in next season’s Champions League.
The common theme was a question of expectations. If Potter is trying to downplay them, as though preparing Chelsea for back-to-back defeats to City in two competitions over the space of four days – they meet again in the FA Cup on Sunday – Guardiola is railing against them. His side have raised the standards but, with characteristic exaggeration, he argued they are now charged with taking a 20-point lead by November. City are natural frontrunners in title races: this time, however, Arsenal’s near immaculate form has meant the defending champions are playing catch-up. They have a proven ability to go on extended winning runs. Nevertheless, Guardiola feels the league leaders Arsenal are not subjected to as much pressure as his side.
