FACE FOR THE DEFENCE

Pep feeling the pressure heading into business end of season with City as he rounds on the referees

- SIMON BALJKOWSKI

IT is a time of year that Pep Guardiola teams are known to start applying pressure.

Size up the opposition, get on a roll, pick up win after win.

If leading from the front, show no weakness. If coming from behind, make the heat unbearable for whoever they are chasing down.

But as February sharpens into view this weekend, Guardiola finds his Manchester City chasing on not one but two fronts.

Arsenal's slip-up against Manchester United was a welcome gift to help City narrow the gap on the Gunners at the top of the Premier League pile, where they have been most of the season.

And in the Champions League, following a sobering defeat last week in Norway, City go into matchday eight needing a win or facing the prospect of adding a two-leg playoff to their season to make it to the last 16.