Is there really a ‘Title Race’ or is Pep Guardiola fooling us all?

Is there really a title race on in the premier league? Or is it just early days, with the proverbial Pep Guardiola master stroke just waiting to happen come end of the season?

Arsenal vs. Manchester City has sent every pundit and premier league football fan tweaking whatever predictions they may have had for the season in the aftermath of Arsenal’s triumph over Pep Guardiola. But as the saying goes, ‘fool me once,’.

A first time victory over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for Arsenal in the premier league, and rightly so, it has given the Gunners fan base a reason to believe, and a fantasy to look forward to when it comes to the topic of the premier league title.

But realistically looking at it, is the media really just carried away by their desperation of wanting something else other than Manchester City, that the idea of Arsenal stealing a win over Guardiola becomes the one sign that an era of dominance is about coming to an end?

It could be the case, and of course, it may not be the case.

The cards are all on Arsenal’s table to make this a title race against Manchester City, and of course, the cards still rests on other teams such as the current league leaders, Tottenham Hotspur to make the season much more interesting.

However, if Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have proven anything in recent seasons, they never start the season well, and if anything, for any team to make it a worthy premier league title race, they need to go on a consistent winning run to actually be a serious threat to City.

And like last season has proven, a consistent winning run isn’t enough to deny City the league title, that’s assuming Manchester City themselves go on a winning run themselves later on. It is going on that winning run when it actually matters, a key in point Arsenal failed to take into consideration last season.

Speaking of the 2022/23 season, though the positivity the Gunners fanbase may consider at the moment is beating Guardiola’s Manchester City for the first time in the premier league, Arsenal’s performances lately are nothing compared to their 2022/23 form.

Of course, the 2023/24 season now has teams like Liverpool on top form, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal in the top 4 places gearing to challenge for the Premier League title, City have shown even with 13 points behind, they can still win the premier league title come end of the season.

So while the world may want to think there is a title race edging on, there is a possibility that it is setting up a much different narrative for an unprecedented 4th consecutive title for Manchester City with Pep Guardiola having the last laugh.