Pep Guardiola did not bite on Arsenal’s West Ham controversy. He kept pulling the conversation back to Crystal Palace, Manchester City and the title race, while his side stay under pressure in second place with 74 points, five behind Arsenal's 79.

Guardiola keeps steering the discussion back to Palace

Asked about the aftermath of the weekend incident, Guardiola said: "I am not the right person to ask." He also backed the place of VAR in the game, saying: "VAR arrived for many years here. We adapt, we know it and everybody knows it."

The clearest sign of his approach came in the way he repeated himself. "Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace," he said, before adding: "What you cannot control, forget about it." That was the message throughout, not a defence of West Ham or a long argument about the refereeing call.

The incident itself was messy enough. Callum Wilson's disallowed goal was overturned after a VAR check lasting five minutes, with Pablo adjudged to have impeded David Raya with an arm across the chest. Leandro Trossard then scored Arsenal's winner with just seven minutes of normal time remaining.

Why City are not in the mood for distractions

Manchester City are still chasing from behind, and the numbers make that obvious. They have 74 points, Arsenal have 79, and Guardiola's team have won four of their last five league games, including a 3-0 win over Brentford.

Palace are not being treated lightly either. Guardiola described them as difficult to beat, even though their recent league form is one win in five, because the game comes with a specific backdrop and a quick turnaround before their Europa Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano on May 27. The final is three days after the meeting with City.

There is a temptation to make this about whether City should be talking about Arsenal at all. Guardiola's answer was more practical than that. He did not want his players or his press conference dragged away from the next match, and in a title race with only two matches left for Arsenal, that focus matters more than the noise around it.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →