DELPH ON PEP'S FUTURE, CITY AND SITTING ON THE FENCE...

CITY have the quality to haul Arsenal in this season in the Premier League title race and Pep Guardiola has the drive to sign another contract extension, according to one of his former champions.

- By SIMON BAJKOWSKI

The Blues have been unable to match Arsenal's pace in the first third of the campaign, and there have been doubts raised over whether Guardiola will even see out his current deal that runs to 2027.

City's manager knows how important it is not to lose further ground to the Gunners after seeing them thrash Tottenham in the North London derby a day after the Blues had been beaten at Newcastle.

That weekend led Guardiola to make an astonishing 10 changes for their Champions League game for Leverkusen, with the knowledge that they cannot afford to fall any further behind.

It will take an almighty battle against arguably the best team in Europe currently, but Fabian Delph was part of a group that slayed Liverpool when they started the 2018/19 season like a juggernaut.

Guardiola's side fell to third in the table after Christmas with a defeat to Leicester, yet picked themselves up and eventually edged what will go down as the highest-quality title race in Premier League history.

There have been many changes to that team, but Guardiola and a few of Delph's former teammates are still in the squad - Bernardo Silva is leading it - and the former midfielder believes City are still capable of greatness this season.