Man City warned of two key factors that could cost Pep Guardiola the Premier League title in battle with “absurd” Arsenal

Injuries and a lack of squad depth could ultimately cost Manchester City in their Premier League title battle with Arsenal this season, Citizens expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole.

Pep Guardiola’s side are unbeaten in their last 10 games across all competitions, but back-to-back draws with Sunderland and Chelsea have seen them slip six points behind the Gunners at the top of the Premier League table.

Man City have been light in a few key positions in recent weeks due to a number of injury and AFCON-related absentees and they suffered a couple more blows during last weekend’s frustrating 1-1 draw with Chelsea.

Josko Gvardiol was helped off the pitch in the second half after rolling his ankle, with Guardiola confirming after the match that the Croatian’s issue “doesn’t look good”, while fellow defender Ruben Dias also sustained an injury of his own against Chelsea.

While the severity of Dias’s injury is currently unknown, Gvardiol is allegedly facing ‘several weeks’ out and is expected to join Mateo Kovacic, John Stones, Nico Gonzalez, Savinho and Oscar Bobb in the treatment room.

Man City had four academy players on the substitutes’ bench against Chelsea, which also included young trio James Trafford, Rico Lewis and Abdukodir Khusanov who have not featured regularly this term.

Why is Arsenal’s squad depth superior to that of Man City?

McInerney is a firm believer than Man City boast a stronger starting lineup than title rivals Arsenal when everyone is fit and available, but the Gunners’ “absurd” squad depth could be crucial in their quest to win their first top-flight crown in more than two decades.

“I did have City finishing in second this season with a bit of asterisks - the asterisks being if Rodri played the entire season, was fit for the entire season, I think we could push Arsenal. I think that's still a pretty good prediction,” McInerney told Sports Mole.

“I think Arsenal are still the best side in the league, [but] man-to-man, the best 11, I think City are the best side in the league, I truly believe that. Maybe they need a run together to get to that form, but if City could play the best 11 for 10 games in a row, I think they would beat Arsenal, I truly believe that.

“That might still be the case when we get to April when they come to the Etihad Stadium, that might prove the case there, but football in 2026 is way more than just 11 players.

“Arsenal's depth is absolutely absurd now, and that's not a criticism or a dig at the money spent, it's just the reality of where you have to be these days. I look at their bench from the weekend (Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Bournemouth) and you see so much quality.

“Martinelli, Gyokeres, Madueke, Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice, Hincapie, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber (all started against Bournemouth). On the bench they had Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Trossard, Merino, Ben White, Eze, Kepa, Norgaard and Lewis-Skelly. Calafiori, Mosquera and Dowman were not on the bench. They've got so much quality.

Guardiola “will regret” lack of rotation amid fitness and fatigue concerns

“Whereas City on the other hand, you had Nathan Ake [on the bench with] a bunch of kids. Khusanov is still a young talent, Rico Lewis is 20 years old still, and then you had James Trafford, Reigan Heskey, [Divine] Mukasa, [Ryan] McAidoo and [Stephen] Mfuni.

“It's not an excuse, it's just the fact is that I think City's squad is just not where it [needs to be] right now. It’s very possible that City could catch up to Arsenal, but some of these players are going to have to return or we're not going to do it.

“City haven't got Kovacic, they haven't got Nico Gonzalez on the bench, and both of those players would have come off the bench in my opinion (against Chelsea if they were fit). No Marmoush, no Ait-Nouri, no Oscar Bobb, no Savinho, no John Stones. These aren't excuses, it's just that this City side cannot stay fit.

McInerney has suggested that Guardiola - in hindsight - should have freshened up his starting lineup more towards the end of last year to reduce the risk of injury and fatigue.

“I think Guardiola probably will regret playing the same 11 multiple games in a row,” he added. “The counter argument is that Guardiola is trying to find consistency and rhythm in a team he likes, but I don't think that fully checks out.

“I think you could have brought Khusanov on every now and then and rested Ruben Dias for a little bit more. I think you could have got away with that.

‘Arsenal are much closer to the completion of their project than Man City are’

“I think O'Reilly's been running to the ground a little bit, and I know he's young, but he looks tired at the moment. I think you probably could have played Nathan Ake there for a game. I think Marmoush probably could have got a run-out at left wing or right wing, because he's played there last season.

“I understand Guardiola’s logic, it's easy to sit here in hindsight and say this, but I do think if you go back two months he might have gone, ‘Ah I probably should have slightly managed the squad better’.

“It's the same every year. We get to December, January and we've got five or six academy lads on the bench, we're not very good at managing the fitness of this team for whatever reason, and I think that ultimately will be the reason why, if City end up second or third this season behind Arsenal, it's because they can't keep the squad fit.

“I also think, unfortunately, the squad is still massively in transition. Several players will leave in the summer, not because they've done anything wrong, just because the overhaul is still happening, and several new players will come in.

“I expect at the end of next summer for City to look at squad and go, ‘this is our squad now, this is what we push forward’, and that will be the one I think where they expect to be seriously close to winning the league, if not winning it.

“City are a very good side, but we're not a great side yet, and Arsenal are much closer to the completion of their project, so to speak, than City are.”

> Click this link to view and listen to the full discussion