Pep Guardiola Isn’t Ready To Relax Despite Man City Opening Up A Seemingly Comfortable Gap Atop The Premier League Table
Manchester City moved a huge leap closer to reclaiming the Premier League title from Liverpool last weekend, beating the holders resoundingly on their Anfield grounds to leave the Merseyside with a 4-1 victory.
As many would have it, the title is now City’s to lose, and talk of them returning to the summit of English football has only gotten louder. Pep Guardiola’s side is now 10 points ahead of the Reds in the race for the Premiership and, having played a game more, it’s hard to imagine Jurgen Klopp’s men regaining the advantage.
City’s win has them five points clear atop the standings (50, with neighbours Manchester United in second place with 45 points and Leicester City right behind with 43. Liverpool currently sit in fourth place with 40 points to their name, just one point above the previously languid Chelsea. The Blues have sparked to life under new boss Thomas Tuchel and look intent on vying for a top-four position.
The season is far from over and could possibly go down to the wire where the title and competition for top-four places are concerned. The race to avoid relegation doesn’t look as interesting at the moment but that could change within a matter of a few games. As such, betting will be pretty interesting and the bookies are staying within step; most are offering competitive odds.
City have done a remarkable job recently, putting themselves in pole position for England’s top crown but Guardiola isn’t prepared to take anything for granted and has sounded a warning to his team.
“Two or three months ago we were out of everything: we didn’t have any chance to be champions, to qualify for the Champions League yet now we are ready. We are ready, so maybe we shouldn’t play any more games in the Premier League because we are already champions,” he said rather sarcastically this week.
“I don’t understand why we have to play against Tottenham and after against Everton? I don’t understand it because we are already champions.”
“I understand why people are talking about it but nothing is eternal, nothing is perfect. Just because we won in the past it doesn’t mean we are going to win in the future.
“We have to focus on the next game. Always in my career with my teams we have thought in this way and talked in this way and this is not an exception.”
The Spaniard also drew reference from Liverpool, who have been in shoddy form this season.
“Liverpool remains one of the best teams I’ve seen in my life and were able to make an incredible run of 68 games at home unbeaten – destroying, winning by big margins, winning in the last minutes – for three seasons without one defeat,” he added.
“Then immediately, you don’t know why, three defeats in a row. Do you think it cannot happen with us? Of course, it can happen. It can happen in one week and you can lose three or four games immediately after an unbeaten run.”
Liverpool’s worrying title defence is hardly without explanation, though. The team has a number of its stars out nursing injuries – Virgil van Dijk, arguably the best defender in the top flight, is out for the rest of the season.
“At the moment, nobody, no doctor has told me here’s a chance for Virgil to play in this season again,” Klopp lamented. “I don’t want to say it is absolutely impossible, but it is not likely. It’s not likely and we don’t have to discuss these things really.”
City aren’t immune to such misfortune and need not experience as many injuries to find themselves looking up at another team in the title race. Guardiola’s outfit will host Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and will head to Goodison Park for a showdown with Everton that will be followed up by a clash against Everton.
Coming out on the end of that short schedule with anything less than six points could spell trouble for the league leaders so Guardiola’s warning should be well received. A number of teams have led the division from No.1 since the start of the season, including Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea.
The title is probably still City’s to throw away but fans will agree that the 2020/21 season is one of the strangest in recent memory; just about anything can happen. Who would have thought Jurgen Klopp’s Reds would be going through such a slump after playing near unblemished football for two consecutive seasons?
There’s hope yet for the Anfield side but things do not look great, especially with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Everton, Leicester, and even West Ham all looking to stake claims of their own.
City, on the other hand, look well on course to win a third Premier League title under their Spanish boss.
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