Pep Guardiola cut a downtrodden figure following Manchester City’s 1 – 2 derby loss to Manchester United on Saturday.
A damaging home defeat to their local rivals, it was Manchester City’s fourth defeat of the season. The result leaves them 14 points behind first-place Liverpool with 16 games played.
After the weekend’s action, City are 8/1 to win the league, behind Liverpool on 1/9.
City came from behind to win the title last season, and they have more time to do it this year. However, that almost works against them in one way. To be so far behind so soon, to a team who look as relentless as City did during their 100 point campaign in 2017 – 18, is a rather hopeless position.
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After the game, Pep Guardiola suggested that City need to reassess their place among Europe’s top teams.
United have the quality to defend and the quality to attack on the counter-attack and you have to accept that,” said Pep Guardiola.
“That is the level we face against Liverpool, United, Barcelona, Madrid, Juventus, they are the teams we have to face and the reality is maybe we are not able now to compete with them.
“We have to improve and accept it and move forward. Maybe we need to live that as a club to improve, to accept the reality now and improve.
“The reality is we are 14 points behind for the mistakes we have done, for the quality of our opponents and especially, as well, the things we cannot control. That is the reality but we have to continue.
“We are at the beginning of December and we have other competitions to play in and other games to fight and improve on. Maybe this is going to help us for the future so we need to live this as a club to be better.”
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His comment about ‘other competitions’ is telling that he has all but given up on winning a third consecutive Premier League. However, in typical manager fashion, he said his focus is on the next game.
“We are not thinking of winning the Champions League, I am not thinking about how many points we need or how many points they have to drop. We are trying to win games, to win the next one.”
