Pep Guardiola insists Newcastle United will be fighting for the Premier League title in just a few years time. The Magpies were beaten by the Spaniard's Manchester City on Saturday despite a spirited performance at the Etihad Stadium.
Eddie Howe's side are now facing a fight to stay in the hunt for a top-four spot after a shaky run of form since mid-January. Saturday's loss was the third on the spin for Newcastle, who now head into two crucial games with Wolves and Nottingham Forest before the end of March.
The nerves are beginning to show among sections of the St James' Park faithful but Guardiola's comments are a timely reminder that Newcastle are still only at the start of their journey, with the future certainly looking bright on Tyneside.
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“The game started and they were better, we struggled to build-up, we made some changes during the first half and after the brilliant action from Phil [Foden], we had the game in our hands, we didn’t suffer," Guardiola told BT Sport.
“The first minutes of the second half were good but then we lost the game and Bernardo helped us to come back. Their threat is not a surprise, there is a reason why they were in the Carabao Cup final and for a lot of minutes they were better than United.
“This team and this club in the next few years will be a threat for the title."
Newcastle gave City a run for their money at times and could have snatched at least a point on another day had they taken their chances either side of half-time. Liverpool's emphatic win over Manchester United means Howe's side are now sixth in the Premier League but the boss is pleased with the manner of the City defeat.
"There are things for us to reflect on, minimal chances for them today," he said. "I thought we kept them relatively quiet, they're a world-class team so they're always going to have chances but I thought we minimised their threat.
"The general performances have been very good. When we came here last year, the result was difficult and you could see the real gap between the teams. I don't think that's been there this season. There is still growth for us to get closer to Manchester City."
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