Pep Guardiola says one more Premier League defeat would end any hopes Manchester City have of catching leaders Chelsea.
The City manager thinks a defeat in the league, just as in the FA Cup or Champions League, would terminate his side's chances of the title.
But Guardiola urged his players to try and avoid looking at the bigger picture in a season he accepts has reached a sudden death situation.
City sit third, eight points behind Chelsea after their 2-0 win at Sunderland on Sunday.
"It is a pity that the distance between Chelsea is so big, but that is true," said Guardiola when asked if one more loss would be costly.
"I feel we are playing quite well and that is why we are getting results.
"But now, of course, we are in a position when you arrive in March and April, every game if you win, you stay; if you lose, you are out.
"In the Premier League, in the cup, in the Champions League, the players know, we know, the club knows, if we are not able to win the next game, we will be out."
Guardiola added: "I have said many times for the last month, we don't think too much about the big targets and the big objectives.
"It's just to try to win the next game. That is the way we have focused for the last month and a half, two months."
Guardiola's men are at home to Stoke City on Wednesday, before travelling to Middlesbrough in an FA Cup quarter-final three days later.
