Pep Guardiola has rejected suggestions that the Premier League is a two-horse race between the Manchester clubs.
His team and Jose Mourinho’s United are equal top of the table with an identical record on points and goal difference after just five games of the season.
“There are six teams [that can win the league],” he told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s game with Crystal Palace. “We are just two or three points in front of the other ones and it’s just five games.
“Last season we started quite well, quite similar, similar goals but we have less points than last season. And I think it was a good season but not good enough to fight against the best teams like Chelsea and Tottenham.
“All the other teams — like Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea of course — they are contenders for the Premier League but the important thing is to be there.”
“You can imagine going against a Tony Pulis team and playing 90 minutes in those conditions, then you spend three or four hours on the bus. Then three days later, it’s Crystal Palace, three days later, Shakhtar Donetsk, three or four days later, Stamford Bridge.
“So for the managers, there’s a lot of wasted energy. But we knew that before, so it’s not a complaint in those terms. If we have to play, we have to play.”
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