Newcastle are Premier League title challengers - Pep Guardiola

Eddie Howe (right) saw his Newcastle squad gully 3-3 against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City astatine St James' Park successful August

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says Newcastle are 1 of six sides who airs a menace to his team's bid for a 3rd consecutive Premier League title.

Victory against Fulham this play would enactment City backmost to the top, up of Arsenal, astatine slightest for 24 hours.

However, Guardiola said helium is taking thing for granted.

The erstwhile Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager says helium tin inactive spot rubric challengers everyplace - including Liverpool, who are 13 points down City, and Newcastle.

Newcastle are 4th successful the Premier League, small implicit a twelvemonth since a Saudi Arabian-backed takeover.

Yet they person exceeded expectations nether Eddie Howe and payment from not being distracted by European competition.

"Newcastle person a bully manager and top-class players," said Guardiola. "I ideate they are going to enactment determination for a agelong time.

"They person physicality successful the middle, box-to-box transitions and their strength without the shot is impressive.

"Also, they are not playing successful Europe, which is simply a large vantage due to the fact that erstwhile you get successful the past months you person energy."

Guardiola says Arsenal are the "first candidate" to triumph the rubric due to the fact that the Gunners are top, past reeled disconnected Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United, Newcastle and Liverpool arsenic further contenders.

Despite hammering them astatine Etihad Stadium past month, Guardiola feels Manchester United person 'taken a measurement forward', on with Tottenham, who City are yet to play.

And the Blues brag is not ruling retired Liverpool, adjacent though Reds counterpart Jurgen Klopp already has.

"They person the aforesaid manager and squad who were capable to triumph 18 matches successful a row. Why are they not capable to bash it again?" said Guardiola.

"This is my feeling. Nobody knows what is going to hap aft the World Cup, there's the transportation model and players coming back."

Pep's sarcastic effect to Zlatan jibe

Guardiola's hard narration with seasoned striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who helium worked with astatine Barcelona, resurfaced again during the City manager's quality league connected Friday.

The Swede was 1 of the fewer high-profile players who failed to respond to the Catalan's demanding coaching methods and Ibrahimovic has repeatedly said helium felt Guardiola was incapable to grip his personality.

It was an assertion Ibrahimovic repeated successful an interrogation with French tv presumption Canal+, erstwhile helium said Erling Haaland's problems volition lone travel if Guardiola feels the Norwegian's ego is getting bigger than his own.

When asked astir Ibrahimovic's latest comments, the City manager responded with trademark sarcasm.

"He is wholly right," helium said. "In this nine my ego is beyond anyone. I don't similar it erstwhile Erling scores 3 goals. I americium truthful jealous.

"I said afterwards 'don't people immoderate much goals' due to the fact that I conscionable privation the newspapers to speech astir me. He knows maine perfectly. My ego is whoosh….."

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