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Four-time Premier League champion Kyle Walker has warned Arsenal that there will be ‘twists and turns’ in the title race, despite Manchester City passing up a big chance to close the gap at the top to just two points.
City fell to a 1-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur – with Harry Kane scoring to surpass Jimmy Greaves as Spurs’ all-time top goalscorer – and it meant Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Everton a day earlier went unpunished in the title race.
But Walker – league champions in 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21 and 2021–22, has called for calm as he knows there is ‘a lot of football left to play’.
“Of course it is (a missed opportunity),” Walker said Sky Sports after defeat at Tottenham.
“They dropped points and we had to take points to close the gap, but there is still a lot of football to be played.”
Kyle Walker (right) is convinced ‘twists and turns’ are ahead in Premier League title race
Harry Kane’s record-breaking goal was a major blow to championship title hopes
City’s defeat leaves them five points behind Arsenal after having played a game more
He added, leaning on his own title wins: “I’ve been here in the Premier League for many, many years and I know the twists and turns that can happen.
“I know what this team stands for. I know what this team can do. We can run from now until the end of the season and it’s about doing that.”
City have dominated the league in recent years, winning four of the last five Premier League titles.
But Arsenal, who have not won the league since their 2003-04 Invincibles side, are raising the bar and are five points clear with 20 games played, one less than City.
Walker went on to address concerns about striker Erling Haaland’s role in the team after struggling on Sunday. He claimed criticism of the Norwegian will only come if City don’t win.
“This is the team we have now until the end of the season. We will fight to the end,” he concluded.
His boss, Pep Guardiola, has publicly taken a different approach, claiming his players aren’t even thinking about becoming champions after this latest setback.
City, who still have to play Arsenal home and away, should instead be concerned about securing Champions League football in Guardiola’s eyes.
“It’s important for us to be close and leave fifth place, which is now Tottenham Hotspur, far away to secure Champions League qualification,” Guardiola said.
Pep Guardiola admitted Manchester City missed a big opportunity after Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat
Man City manager said his side are ‘not able to think about being champions right now’
“The team started very well in many things – but after a mistake we made again for two weeks, we repeated it again.”
He added: “We are not in a position to think about becoming champions, only the next game, Aston Villa, we will prepare well and play our game to the best of our ability.
Tottenham have a fantastic team and squad and they punish you. They have a lot of quality up front and don’t need much with transitions, set pieces, give them a lot of credit.’
City face a mid-week trip to the Emirates Stadium on February 15, for the reverse game at Etihad Stadium on April 26, in what are two hugely important games in the title race.
They last met in the FA Cup fourth round at the end of January with City winning 1–0.
