Tonight is must-win
City need three points against Crystal Palace tonight. Drop anything — a draw, a loss — and Arsenal are virtually Premier League champions. No margin for error, no second chances (1) (4) (9).
The squad is thin. Guardiola is short on options ahead of Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea, and there will be no luxury of rotating (4). Jeremy Doku is expected to be a key figure again after his recent performances (1) (9).
Guardiola: "VAR is a flip of a coin"
Pep Guardiola went blunt at his press conference. He said he has never trusted VAR and compared it to a coin toss (7). His message to his players: play well enough that VAR can't decide the outcome (7) (8).
The comments follow a period of controversy around VAR decisions in England. Guardiola isn't looking for sympathy, though. He wants performances that make the debate irrelevant (1) (7).
Guardiola on Aké: "I hope he stays"
Nathan Aké looks set to leave City this summer, but Guardiola gave him a public vote of appreciation. He called Aké one of the most reliable defenders he has ever worked with and said he hopes the Dutchman stays (10). Whether that changes anything remains to be seen.
Fan reactions
The mood on the subreddit is split between anxiety about tonight and transfer speculation. The big talking point is City's reported move for 16-year-old Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, with fans intrigued but cautious about the hype around a teenager. Check the thread here. There's also a lively debate about which player from the Abu Dhabi era got away, with Leroy Sané topping the list for most.