Pep Guardiola has said he “has a feeling” that Arsenal, Liverpool and at least one other Premier League contender will drop very few points as the title race intensifies.

The Manchester City boss shared his thoughts ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Crystal Palace, with Mikel Arteta’s men currently sitting three points clear at the top.

The Gunners have won six straight league matches and conceded only once in that run, form that has made them early favourites to win the title.

“Few, few points will be dropped”

Guardiola believes both Arsenal and Liverpool remain strong contenders despite recent setbacks, stressing that the gap between the top sides remains insignificant.

“I think Liverpool remain one of the main favourites,” he said. “The distance, three, four points at this stage is nothing.

“I always have the feeling that both teams, and maybe another one, will lose few, few points. That’s why we have to be there.”

Liverpool’s recent slump, four consecutive league defeats, including a 3-2 loss to Brentford, has seen them drop to sixth, but Guardiola refused to rule them out. “I’ll tell you that they will be back,” he added.

“Arsenal are strong, but the race is long”

The City manager also acknowledged Arsenal’s consistency and defense but cautioned against premature conclusions.

“Always I wait for 10 to 15 games to know exactly what is going on,” he said. “Obviously Liverpool and Arsenal are there, someone else will be there, hopefully we can be there too.”

Guardiola’s City side, currently third, have quietly rebuilt form, winning five of their last six matches since drawing 1-1 with Arsenal in mid-September.

The defending champions are eyeing a record-extending seventh Premier League crown under Guardiola, who remains convinced the race will go down to the wire.