Following their 2-1 comeback victory over Liverpool last weekend, Man City narrowed the gap with Arsenal to 6 points. A victory over Fulham at the Etihad on 11/2 evening would place significant pressure on Arsenal, who visit Brentford a day later.

However, Guardiola believes these numbers are meaningless if his players cannot maintain consistency. "I understand the feeling of nine or three points sounds very attractive," he said during the press conference on 10/2. "But that doesn't help you win the championship or compete for the title. The important thing is what you do to win the next match."

Manager Pep Guardiola embraces Arne Slot before Man City's 2-1 victory over Liverpool in Premier League matchday 25 at Anfield, Liverpool, United Kingdom on 8/2 evening. Photo: Man City

The Spanish manager directly addressed Man City's major issue recently: a lack of consistency, particularly in their performance between halves. He cited the Liverpool victory as an example, where his team played strongly in the first half but declined after the break. "We have to ask ourselves why our performance dropped in the second half. It's not about three, four, or five points," Guardiola stressed. "If we don't improve that, we might not lose to Fulham, but we could stumble against Newcastle or Leeds in subsequent matches."

Guardiola stressed that Man City's primary objective now is to enhance consistency. "We have achieved many positive things, but we still lack sufficient consistency," he said. "I want the team to earn the three points by playing the way we need to play."

At Craven Cottage during the first stage of the Premier League, Man City led 5-1 but nearly let victory slip after a fierce comeback from home side Fulham, before the match concluded 5-4. Guardiola has not forgotten that match, evaluating Fulham as a challenging opponent who has improved each season under manager Marco Silva. "They possess quality, composure, pace, and are well-organized both offensively and defensively," he said. "Marco is a top manager and will certainly succeed in the future."

Regarding squad availability, Guardiola confirmed that center-back John Stones has rejoined the squad after recovering from a thigh injury. Abdukodir Khusanov is also ready to play despite suffering a concussion and being substituted early in the Liverpool match. Commenting on the Uzbekistan international, he joked: "He doesn't speak like William Shakespeare, but he is making steady progress. He is very intelligent and always makes the right decisions."

By Hong Duy (Mancity.com, Reuters)