Guardiola backs West Ham with title race plea after City win

City need Arsenal to slip now.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated May 102 min read

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What happened: Pep Guardiola ended his post-match press conference by crossing his arms above his head and shouting, "Come on you Irons," backing West Ham ahead of Arsenal's trip to London Stadium. The gesture came after Manchester City's 3-0 win over Brentford cut Arsenal's lead to two points in the Premier League title race.

Why it matters: The moment captured how directly City's title hopes now depend on Arsenal dropping points. It also follows Guardiola's broader appeal to West Ham as City try to keep pressure on Arsenal with only a few matches left.

By the numbers: Manchester City 3, Brentford 0 on May 9, 2026. Arsenal enter the West Ham match on 70 points at 21-7-4; West Ham are on 32 points at 8-8-16, per ESPN's match page. Reporting cited in this context pack says Arsenal still have three matches left: West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace. City's remaining league fixtures listed in current coverage are Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Aston Villa.

What to watch: Watch whether West Ham can take points off Arsenal on Sunday, May 10, 2026. City's side of the equation is straightforward: they need Arsenal to slip and must keep winning their own remaining matches.

Sources

@FabrizioRomano May 9, 9:30 PM ET

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Guardiola backs West Ham with title race plea after City win

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