Manchester City will be particularly pleased with this result. This is because if they do not participate in the Club World Cup, the gap with the top rankings will not increase much. Liverpool have only previously drawn with Manchester City. Now that we’ve reached the halfway point, there are three players to consider in the title race and the teams have yet to be decided. This is Pep Guardiola’s strong return from the Club World Cup.
According to the Daily Mail, Guardiola refused to acknowledge Manchester City’s decline in form. He attacked outside observers who dared to focus on trivial matters such as victory.”People say, ‘How well they play, how good their skills are,’ but I win,” he said. “They don’t understand what we’re doing, but they give us credit for winning. We need to take a closer look. If you don’t win, doubt arises. good. Doubt (us) again. Let’s see what happens.”Guardiola’s struggle story is not over yet. He then compared Manchester City favorably to his former team.”The titles we won were amazing. I said that the fact that we played brilliantly against Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Tottenham but didn’t win was real proof that they (the critics) don’t care how we play. I played at a level comparable to the highest level I have played at in the last eight years.
“But since we didn’t win, it’s a crisis and a disaster.”With all due respect to Guardiola, that’s silly. Only he knows if he really believes it or if he’s just trying to protect his team from critics, but this statement doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny. Looking at the results he mentioned individually, he may have something to say. Manchester City could have battled Liverpool despite having the upper hand at every stage and had perhaps their best performance at the Etihad until Trent Alexander-Arnold rescued a point.
Against Crystal Palace, it was typical Guardiola surgical form before the second half erupted. The referee was wrong against Tottenham. But it all adds up. Manchester City’s drop in points is minimal, but in the past Guardiola’s dominance has been enough to close the gap. The odds against him may seem arbitrary, but the maddening brilliance of his best teams lies in his ability to outshine them. He didn’t talk about luck when millimeter problems meant the title went to the Etihad and not Anfield. While Klopp’s flawless side once lifted Manchester City to the top of the table, Guardiola’s men stuck with a good but flawed Liverpool and Arsenal outfit. Perhaps this is not a “crisis” or a “disaster”, but in fact the heights reached are already impossible to reach.
If Manchester City had returned from the Club World Cup and won all their remaining Premier League games, they would have finished with 97 points. Perfection marks Guardiola’s third best campaign here. Moreover, the League Cup season is over. The critics have certainly not ignored him and Manchester City will be worried if Guardiola believes things are going well.
However, it is good news for Liverpool as the manager took another look at how far his side have come in his statement.”The trophy belongs to all the staff and all the players. I told the team: We are neither here in Istanbul nor in Inter Milan. The reason we are here is Monaco, Liverpool, Tottenham and Lyon. “It’s the final against Chelsea, which we lost, and our last game against Real Madrid.”
It’s no secret that Liverpool and Manchester City have pushed each other to new heights over the years. Both Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp would recognize this. Even if they don’t, the Red’s continued attempts without getting over 90 points will be proof enough. With both sides benefiting from a slight turnaround, Arsenal now sit top of the Christmas table after a draw at Anfield.
