MANCHESTER, England -- Pep Guardiola insists the title race is not over despite Manchester City having a 13-point lead with just six matches remaining.
City missed the chance to claim the title last Saturday when they were surprisingly beaten at home by second-placed Manchester United.
After losing both legs of their Champions League clash with Liverpool either side of the derby defeat, City face a tough match at Tottenham Hotspur, without injured Sergio Aguero, in a game which could see the club lose four successive matches for the first time in 12 years.
But despite needing only five points to be certain of his first Premier League title, Guardiola says his side can still be caught.
"It can happen," he told a news conference. "Football is full of emotions but what we have to try to do is focus and win our games against Tottenham, Swansea, and after that the other ones.
"I am not the most calm, because that is not the right word, because we were so close against United at home, but it's the fact that since November or December we are already champions.
"When I saw the pundits and the people in November, they say it's already done, it's impossible that City -- if they don't lose in six months, three or four months -- it's impossible for them to drop points. But in one week we lost three games, that happened.
"What I say to the players is, and they show you every day, in every game that it's not done because if it was done they wouldn't play the way they play. So we have to play tomorrow and after that we see the result from United. But it doesn't depend on the United result, it's in our hands, it's up to us to win our games, and we are able to win two games."
Guardiola cited the experience of Real Madrid in 2003-04. A team that included players such as Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, David Beckham, Iker Casillas and Raul lost six of their last seven games to finish seven points behind Valencia having led by 11 points at one stage.
"My feeling now is that United is going to win a lot of points, because they are in good shape, they have top players and they are going to win all six games, so we have to do it. We have to do it from tomorrow," Guardiola added.
"Of course it can happen, I assure you. Real Madrid, years ago, lost [five] games in a row and didn't win the league. So, of course it can happen, no doubts about that."
Meanwhile, Guardiola revealed that City had backed the introduction of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) despite it being rejected by the Premier League.
During the defeat the two defeats to Liverpool, City were on the wrong end of three incorrect offside decisions that would have been overturned by VAR but clubs have voted against it being introduced.
"I think Manchester City agreed to it but the other top teams, United and Chelsea I think, they didn't want it," the City boss said.
"It's okay, it will happen, the same will happen this season. Not just here in England, all around the world, the referees must be helped.
"Today the football is quicker, it's faster. Before the back four was not well-organised, now all the teams are well-organised.
"Now, for example, right now we don't know if it was a penalty or no penalty for Madrid. It's not easy for the referees. I think they need to be helped, but if the guys decided to do that, it will happen like this season."