- City play Liverpool at Anfield
- Lost 4-0 to Spurs on Saturday
- Liverpool five points clear
WHAT HAPPENED?
Spurs crushed City 4-0 on Saturday, extending their losing streak to five games across all competitions. Guardiola has had his worst managerial run ever, and City is now five points behind Liverpool in second place in the Premier League standings. If the Reds win their match against Southampton on Sunday, the difference will be eight points; but, since the two teams will play one other the following weekend, a loss for City will increase the distance to eleven points. If they suffer another loss on Merseyside, Guardiola says he is prepared to give up their hopes of winning the championship.
THE BIGGER IMAGE
The Reds’ solitary loss came against Nottingham Forest, and Arne Slot has led them to nine victories in their first 11 games. Guardiola took time to congratulate Spurs on their biggest victory of the Postecoglou era, expressing his belief that the team will be able to sustain the pace.
GUARDIOLA’S COMMENTS
“You can only congratulate Tottenham when you lose 4-0,” Guardiola said to reporters. We are a little weak at the moment; we had trouble scoring goals in this match and are thinking negatively. In the Premier League, we have to improve on our three straight losses.
“We are not used to doing this situation but life is like this. Sometimes it happens and we have to accept it. It is what it is now and we will stand up and do it.”
Asked if an 11-point gap would be too much for City to bridge, Guardiola replied: “Yes. In terms of Liverpool winning, winning, winning.
“We have to think about the next game rather than the end of the season. We won it in the past because we deserved it, now we have to step-by-step get better and first of [all] qualification for the Champions League.”
UP NEXT?
Liverpool will play Real Madrid in the Champions League midweek, while City will play Feyenoord. Next Saturday, the two titans square off at Anfield in a match that suddenly carries a great deal of stakes.
