Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola expressed his delight at the way in which the Blues had bounced back from their loss at Newcastle following the victory over Arsenal.
Sergio Aguero netted a hat-trick as City beat the Gunners 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium, five days on from losing 2-1 at St James' Park.
It saw the champions move back into second place in the Premier League, with the gap between them and leaders Liverpool reducing to two points ahead of the Reds facing West Ham away on Monday.
PEP 💬 After the Newcastle defeat everyone thought we would go seven points behind. A lot of things will happen between now and the end of the season. We scored first and kept trying for more, that's the biggest lesson we can learn. — Manchester City (@ManCity) February 3, 2019
Guardiola said: "Against Newcastle we scored a goal (in the first minute) and didn't try again and again.
"No fight and (not) trying to have the intensity to score a second goal. Then a few days later we score the first goal (again in the opening minute), we try to get the second one and try to score more chances.
"I think that is the big lesson we can learn. When that happens, OK, we are a team who can be proud for what we do."
Gap reduced#PL pic.twitter.com/Qq382l1SUt — Premier League (@premierleague) February 3, 2019
Guardiola, whose men are next in action when they take on Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday, said when asked about the title race: "Many things are going to happen. Now we are two (points behind), tomorrow it can be three or two or it can be five again.
"But we are the only team, with Everton, playing in midweek and we have to go there to get three more points.
"I'm not in the mind of Jurgen (Klopp, the Liverpool manager) or the players.
PEP 💬 I prefer to be in the position of Liverpool. The pressure is when you are behind and you lose points, it's tougher. The important thing is to be ourself. At Newcastle we didn't recognise our team. The players knew that. Today we came back. — Manchester City (@ManCity) February 3, 2019
"Every press conference, we put pressure on Liverpool, pressure onto us, 'what do you think about Liverpool?' I don't know really.
"What we have to do is try to make a good performance, or be ourselves – that is the main target we want to achieve and win our games. That's all."
The day after City lost on Tyneside, Liverpool missed the chance to extend their lead at the top to seven points as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Leicester at home.
Guardiola added on Sunday when asked about pressure on Liverpool and City: "I prefer to be in the position of Liverpool. I said many times I prefer to be there than in the position we are.
"The pressure is when you are behind, if you lose points, it will be tougher. When you are at the top with distance, always you can drop points and still you are there."
Aguero, who had netted after 24 seconds on Tuesday, scored a diving header after 46 against Arsenal, and following Laurent Koscielny's swift reply, added further close-range finises in the 44th and 61st minutes. It was the 14th hat-trick of his City career.
Most #PL Hat-tricks 11 – @alanshearer10 – @aguerosergiokun9 – @Robbie9Fowler 8 – @HKane, @themichaelowen & @ThierryHenry pic.twitter.com/xoszCmhhoU — Premier League (@premierleague) February 3, 2019
The Argentinian's third came off his arm, and he said on Sky Sports: "I think it came off my chest, but now I see on TV it was a handball."
Arsenal boss Unai Emery – whose side are sixth, three points off the top four – said: "They showed their superiority today over 90 minutes.
"I think the result is the difference between Manchester City and Arsenal today.
💬 "It's important to turn the page as quickly as possible. This is football, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. The most important thing is that we keep trying to improve."@LTorreira34 speaks following #MCIARS... — Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) February 3, 2019
"Our situation now is that we need to think game by game, keep our regularity, be consistent over the course of 38 matches.
"Today, we lost but now we continue working. The next match for us is very important against Huddersfield next weekend.
"These are the matches where we can take the regularity to be in the position we want, near, closer to the top four.
"We know it's difficult and we need time also. But we must be self-demanding for finding that."
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