Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that Manchester City faces a challenge in the Premier League title race as he admits that “Liverpool are better” than his team.
Despite a recent improvement in domestic form with consecutive late December victories, the defending champions find themselves in third place in the standings. They trail Liverpool and Aston Villa by two points, with a game in hand over Unai Emery’s side. However, a potential drop to fourth place looms if Arsenal avoids defeat at Fulham on New Year’s Eve.
Guardiola, aiming for a historic fourth-successive Premier League title, conceded that Liverpool is currently better positioned to lead the table in May. Following their 2-0 win against Sheffield United on Saturday, Guardiola remarked to BBC’s Match of the Day, “[The title race is] so tight – we’re not top of the league, Liverpool are better.”
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Despite coping with injuries and challenges, Guardiola emphasized the team’s overall strong performance and expressed the need for rest in the less intense month of January. Manchester City secured their fourth consecutive victory in all competitions with goals from Rodri and Julian Alvarez against Sheffield United.
While Erling Haaland is yet to return from injury, Kevin De Bruyne made a notable return to the matchday squad for the first time since August, receiving a warm welcome from fans during his warm-up. Guardiola expressed gratitude for De Bruyne’s availability, stating, “The standing ovation when he was warming up tells me the people want him back. It was a long injury for all of us, but we’re happy he’s back.”