Pep Guardiola saw his Manchester City side’s title challenge falter in a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle © AFP / Lindsey PARNABY
LONDON, United Kingdom, Jan 30 – Pep Guardiola insists it is far too early to write off Manchester City’s chances of defending their Premier League title, but the champions’ fourth defeat in nine league games has emboldened Liverpool’s hopes of ending a 29-year wait to win the title.
Win at home to Leicester at Anfield on Wednesday and Jurgen Klopp’s men will have a seven-point lead over City with just 14 games left to negotiate.
Moreover, there is every chance that lead could be extended in the coming week as City host Arsenal and Chelsea either side of a trip to the other side of Liverpool to face Everton in a testing eight-day stretch starting on Sunday.
“Next week will be tough with Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea,” said Guardiola after a shock 2-1 defeat at Newcastle on Tuesday.
“If we want to go up as a club we have to accept that challenge. There are a lot of titles and points to play for.”
Unlike Liverpool, who bowed out at the first hurdle of both domestic cups with Klopp fielding weakened teams, Guardiola believes the way forward for City to establish themselves as a dominant power in the era of the club’s Abu Dhabi funded wealth is silverware on all fronts.
“What are the best teams in the last decade? Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona. These are the three best teams in Europe. Why? Because every season they win the league, every season they win the cups, every season they are there,” Guardiola said this week.
“We can – not get close to them, because it’s difficult – but imitate them. Being in the competition until the last stages. Sometimes you are lucky, sometimes not, but be there.”
City are still involved in four competitions having progressed to the League Cup final and last 16 of the FA Cup in recent weeks, while Liverpool have had time for a winter training camp in Dubai during a 10-day break since their last outing.
– Defensive deficiencies exposed –
However, in chasing a quadruple of trophies, City’s challenge to become the first side in a decade to retain the Premier League has faltered.
Despite taking the lead after just 24 seconds at St James’ Park, defensive deficiencies were exposed in a second-half Newcastle fightback, just as they were in December defeats to Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Leicester.
By contrast, Liverpool have kept 13 clean sheets and conceded just 13 goals in 23 games prior to Leicester’s visit.
Klopp admitted on Tuesday that the title race is too “intense” for him to enjoy.
The German is yet to win a trophy since taking charge in October 2015, but he is now on the brink of delivering the one most craved on Merseyside for nearly three decades.
And if Liverpool to go onto win the title, one of Klopp’s predecessors who came close to delivering the holy grail 10 years ago will have played his part.
Victory over Man City was doubly sweet for Newcastle boss and former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez © AFP / Lindsey PARNABY
Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool fell just short in 2008/09 against a Manchester United side blessed with Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney in their prime and who remain the last team to retain the Premier League.
Now Newcastle manager, a victory that boosted the Magpies’ chances of survival was doubly sweet for the Spaniard.
“When you have to win, even a draw is not good enough for you then maybe you will play with more anxiety, you will make more mistakes,” said Benitez from experience as, despite just two defeats all season a decade ago, 11 draws cost Liverpool the title.
“I said in the press conference before the game maybe they will feel a little more pressure and I think that was another factor.”
