Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has instructed his players to remain focused on the job at hand, claiming they, too, could tumble like Liverpool during the title run-in.
Liverpool Have Lost Ground In The Premier League Race
Heading into April, Liverpool were in great shape to win their 20th English top-flight title. They had not tasted defeat in their last seven Premier League matches and had a comparatively easier fixture list to tackle. It started well for them, as they picked up a commanding 3-1 win over Sheffield United. However, a couple of days later, they played out a 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford, dropping two points.
They then suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on April 14, which allowed Manchester City to overcome their two-point deficit to then-joint-leaders Liverpool and Arsenal. On Wednesday (April 24), the Reds once again dropped three invaluable points, losing 2-0 to relegation-threatened Everton. Following Arsenal and Manchester City’s wins on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, Jurgen Klopp’s side have slipped to third place in the Premier League rankings. Arsenal are currently leading the race by a solitary point, but City have a game in hand.
Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola Says Liverpool Slip Not Unusual
Speaking to the press after his team claimed a thumping 4-0 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday night (April 25), Guardiola said he had a lot of respect for the Reds and warned players that they could also be victim to such a slip-up.
Revealing what he told his players before the game against Brighton, the Spanish tactician said (via The Herald):
“I said to the players what happened to Liverpool can happen to us and can happen to Arsenal. People didn’t expect them to lose against Crystal Palace and yesterday but it can happen to us – it’s football.
“Everton is playing to avoid the relegation zone and we have a similar game at Nottingham Forest (on Sunday) and they play for their lives.”
He concluded by adding:
“Maybe because they were a real contender of ours for many years, my appreciation for Liverpool is higher than ever.
“Still it (the title) is there (for Liverpool) because I know the character of their team. They are going to fight until the end and we have to do it too.”
If they win their remaining five matches, Manchester City will win their fourth consecutive Premier League title. They will become the first-ever team to do so in English top-flight history.
