Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said that Arsenal are the best team in the Premier League as his side prepare for a trip to the Emirates in Wednesday's top-of-the-table clash.
League champions City are second in the standings and three points behind leaders Arsenal with one more game played. They will now look to close the gap after recovering from their recent slump to ease past Aston Villa 3-1 on Sunday.
City will draw inspiration from last month's FA Cup 1-0 victory over the London club.
"So far, they are the best team in the Premier League," Guardiola said on Tuesday.
"We felt it a couple of weeks ago [in the FA Cup]. The commitment, they are sharp. It will be a big, big battle. You have to be ready.
"I do not truly believe one week ago we are out of form and now we're back in form. Every game is different, you can play good and win and everything is perfect but tomorrow you could lose. Tomorrow is an important one, everyone knows it, and we'll try to do our best."
Wednesday’s pivotal match could hardly be more ill-timed for Arsenal, who are winless in consecutive league games for the first time this season.
Mikel Arteta's team are looking to win the league title for the first time in 19 years, yet approach the game at the Emirates that has such big implications in the midst of their current slump.
His side followed up their unexpected defeat by relegation-threatened Everton with a 1-1 draw with Brentford on Saturday.
They at least received a psychological boost as Guardiola said he was unsure whether Erling Haaland will be available for the match.
The striker was substituted at halftime in City’s 3-1 win over Villa on Sunday with what Guardiola at the time described as a “knock”.
Haaland took part in a recovery session on Monday but Guardiola could not say if the league’s top scorer, with 25 goals, would be healthy enough to play on Wednesday.
“Right now, I don’t know,” Guardiola said.
The City manager started the press conference by apologising to former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard for his comments last week. Guardiola was stern in his defence of the club after allegations of financial misconduct by the Premier League. He referenced Gerrard's infamous slip in 2014 against Chelsea, which ultimately helped Manchester City pip Liverpool to the title.
He had said: "Some moments belong to us – they absolutely belong to us. The (title-winning) goal from (Sergio) Aguero, when (Mario) Balotelli slipped (in 2012)? I don't know if we are responsible for Steven Gerrard slipping at Anfield. Was that our fault? I have respect for Steven Gerrard – but that moment belongs to us."
Guardiola began his news conference by expressing his regret.
"I apologise to Steven Gerrard for my unnecessary and stupid comments I said the last time about him. He knows how I admire him and his career, what he has done for this country that I am living and training in," the Spaniard said.
MORE ON INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 3 (Abraham 11', 17', 74')
Luton Town 1 (Clark 30')
Man of the match Abraham (Chelsea)
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MORE ON IRAN'S PROXY WARS
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
