Pep Guardiola claimed Manchester City are “breathing down the necks” of Arsenal after their ­remarkable victory at Liverpool but must improve to reel in the Premier League leaders.

City were staring at another Anfield defeat that would have left them nine points adrift of Arsenal following Dominik Szoboszlai’s outstanding 74th‑minute free-kick. But late goals from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland reduced the gap to six points and delivered City’s first win at Anfield in front of a crowd since 2003.

Silva said: “The title race is over if we lost this game.”

Guardiola responded: “I’m maybe more optimis­tic than them. Nine points, ­watching Arsenal, it is difficult to think they are going to lose more than three games. But in football you never know.

“I have a feeling that improving a little bit will not be enough to compete against Arsenal but still we have margin [to improve]. We have to play them at home, of course we have to beat them. And 13 games in the Premier League, from my point of view and from my little experience, is a lot.

“When you go into the last games playing any team in a relegation ­battle, it’s a proper...