Liverpool is still ahead of Man City in the Premier League table. Pep Guardiola admitted his side made ‘mistakes’ against Crystal Palace but they got the job done.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted his team made ‘mistakes’ against Crystal Palace with the relentless schedule making things hard for his side. Liverpool remains the favorite for the Premier League title and the lack of Champions League action for the Reds could prove decisive.
“In the first half, we made mistakes — but the reason is three days, three days, three days,” Guardiola said live on TNT Sports post-match. “We have to do it and today Kevin [De Bruyne] won the game. He won a lot of games for us, no doubt.”
Liverpool went into the weekend on 70 points and Manchester City is now level on that sum after it beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Arsenal, who plays Brighton later, is on 68 points and has the worst goal difference, but things remain very tight at the top.
In the game between Manchester City and Crystal Palace, while Kevin De Bruyne was magical, Guardiola’s side did concede a number of chances that could have made it more interesting. Jean-Philippe Mateta put the Eagles in front and Odsonne Édouard could have netted a few minutes before he did find a consolation.
There is no doubt that Manchester City is more vulnerable defensively at the moment than it has been in previous seasons, but its favorable fixture list means that might not matter. Before the season is done, Manchester City plays Luton, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Fulham and West Ham.
While the Champions League will make an impact, with a trip to Real Madrid next for Manchester City (on Tuesday), Guardiola’s side will still be near-perfect for the remainder of the campaign looking at those matches. It also faces Chelsea at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final and has a game with Spurs that is yet to be rearranged.
According to Liverpool.com More crucially than anything else for Liverpool, if the Reds win their own eight matches, they will win the title. It really is that simple for Jürgen Klopp’s men. Nothing has changed with their task for the rest of the season, starting with tomorrow’s trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United. Win there, and keep up that winning run, and Liverpool will not need to be eyeing up dropped points elsewhere. This time, it is the other sides in the race hoping that they slip somewhere along the line.
