Man City has the mental strength in home stretch, says Guardiola

Manchester City has the mental strength to endure its packed schedule in the final stretch of the season as it targets a possible treble of trophies, manager Pep Guardiola said on Tuesday.

The reigning Premier League champion is chasing Arsenal with a game in hand, it has booked a place in the FA Cup final on June 3, and it is gearing up for a Champions League semifinal first leg away at Real Madrid next week.

In all, Guardiola's side has eight games over the next 25 days but the Spaniard said it was not the first time it has been battling on three fronts at this stage of the season.

"The players have one month and one week to fight... We have played the last six or seven years in this situation," Guardiola told reporters ahead of Wednesday's home game against West Ham United.

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"We've done it a lot, this is not the first time. Everything is here, the mental strength, the best period we can live and we are not tired.

"We have positive thoughts, so we are not tired. Now, it's another opportunity. We have to recover and go for it."

City went top of the league for the first time in two months with its 2-1 win at Fulham on Sunday as Erling Haaland scored his record-equalling 34th Premier League goal in a quite extraordinary debut season in England.

When asked if Haaland could break Dixie Dean's long-standing record of 63 goals in a season in England, Guardiola suggested he would not put it past the 22-year-old Norwegian, who has so far scored 50 in all competitions.

Brighton vs Man United, 11 pm