Guardiola: We Can Match Liverpool
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated that his team is not in contention for the Premier League title this season but remains convinced that they can compete with Liverpool in their crucial clash on Sunday.
According to British news agency PA Media, after winning the Premier League for four consecutive seasons, City now finds itself in an unusual position outside the title race.
Nevertheless, Manchester City can still have a significant influence on the title race as they host league leaders Liverpool on Sunday in a crucial match that will impact both the title race and City’s more modest goal of securing a top-four finish.
Guardiola hopes to see a strong response from his squad following their Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid on Wednesday.
“I don’t think we’re in a bad moment—apart from Madrid, which is currently the best team,” Guardiola said.
“The priority is the Premier League, and that’s very important to us. We have played some good matches.”
“Even when we lost 1-5 to Arsenal, I would say we played well for 60 minutes. Except for the first five minutes when we conceded and gave them another chance, we performed brilliantly for the rest of the match.”
“In other games, like against Newcastle, we were at a high level,” he added.
“We will try to play well and collect the points we need to stay in the Champions League spots for next season.”
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager acknowledged Liverpool’s strength, stating: “Liverpool is a strong team in many aspects. They have lost just one game in the Premier League. That’s why this is a great test for us.”
Under former manager Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool was one of Guardiola’s main rivals for the title.
New head coach Arne Slot has continued that trend impressively since taking charge last summer.
“They have maintained a continuity very similar to what they had with Jürgen. They deserve to be at the top, competing with Arsenal for the title. I congratulate them on their achievements,” Guardiola concluded.
