Arsenal under pressure to beat West Ham as Guardiola says match against Gunners is EPL final 

Arsenal needs to react to another win by Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

The leaders visit fellow London club West Ham, a day after City beat Leicester 3-1 to trim the gap to three points.

In the day’s other game, Manchester United can move into third place by not losing at relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest. United, which is again set to be without top scorer Marcus Rashford, is tied for points with third-place Newcastle and three clear of fifth-place Tottenham with two games in hand.

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City have got themselves in a position to strike heading into their crunch Premier League clash with leaders Arsenal.

The champions cut the gap to the Gunners at the top of the table to three points with a 3-1 victory over relegation-threatened Leicester at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Their next game in the competition is when they host Mikel Arteta’s side on April 26 and – although Arsenal can move further ahead in the two league games they have before then – Guardiola feels City are now well poised.

The City manager said: “Like I said lately, it is win, win and win.

 “They have had an incredible run this season and I don’t think they are going to drop many points, so what we have to do is be there.

“It was important for us to win today to arrive for the ‘final’ we have against them in the next Premier League game.”

City all but secured their latest victory – their 10th in succession in all competitions – inside the opening 25 minutes.