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Guardiola tempers prospect of winning title by beating Manchester United

OLI SCARFF / AFP / Getty

Manchester City is within touching distance of the 2017-18 Premier League trophy, having easily dispatched Stoke City 2-0 on Monday courtesy of a David Silva brace, and with a 16-point lead on second-placed Manchester United, Pep Guardiola's side needs just two more wins to clinch the title.

Coincidentally, Manchester City squares off against Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium following its next league match against Everton, setting up the prospect of winning its third Premier League title by defeating its bitter rival on derby day.

It's an opportunity many City fans will relish, as the teams are by no means friendly neighbours. But Guardiola urged those expectations to be somewhat tempered, despite openly admitting the title is all but theirs.

"We are very close now. We have 81 points, which is a lot!" Guardiola said after the match, per Emma Sanders from BBC Sport. "We had a solid performance; we controlled the game and conceded no chances."

Guardiola added: "To be champions is tough, it's complicated. Our club does not have a history of a lot of titles. (Winning the title) as soon as possible will be better but it doesn't matter where we win it.

"I understand that it is important to our fans to win it against United but the target is the next game at Everton. After that, if we play like today sooner or later we will be champions."

Manchester City last won the Premier League title in the 2013-14 season, and first won it in 2011-12. The club hasn't managed to repeat the feat in the last three seasons, as Chelsea won in 2014-15 and 2016-17, while Leicester City shocked the world by clinching the trophy in a miraculous 2015-16 campaign.

Should City cruise to the Premier League trophy as expected, Guardiola would celebrate his seventh domestic title, having won three apiece with Barcelona and Bayern Munich since 2008-09.

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