Pep Guardiola makes Liverpool Premier League title admission after Man City lose again

Pep Guardiola admitted that Manchester City's grip on the Premier League will be over if they lose at Anfield next week.

The four-in-a-row champions have now been beaten in their last five games and will travel to Merseyside trailing leaders Liverpool by eight points if Arne Slot ’s men win at Southampton. Guardiola accepted that his team’s chances of retaining the trophy will be over if they suffer a fourth successive league defeat.

City have won just three times at Anfield in the last 43 years and asked if a Liverpool victory would be decisive in the title race, Guardiola said: “Yes. In terms of Liverpool winning, winning, winning it’s true. I don’t know what is going to happen, but the reality is here and we have to win games.

“People are saying it can’t get worse - but it can get worse. The exceptional things we have done over the last eight years are not eternal. I said how difficult it was to do the things we have done - and now people might believe me.

“We are a bit fragile right now, but we can’t run away. We have to face it. I would like to say there is just one reason for losing three Premier League games in a row. There are many details that we have to fix."

Guardiola saw James Maddison score twice in the first half
(Image: AP)

James Maddison celebrated his 28th birthday by scoring twice in the first half, before goals from Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson completed the rout. This was City’s heaviest defeat at the Etihad - and their worst loss at home since they were beaten 5-1 by Arsenal at Maine Road 21 years ago.

Guardiola had never lost more than three consecutive games as a manager before City’s form fell off a cliff after the 2-1 defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last month. And the last time City lost five games on the bounce was when Stuart Pearce was in charge in the spring of 2006.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou challenged his players to maintain the standards they produced in the Manchester rain. Postecoglou said: “Today was about doubling down on our football principles. It’s a significant win. City have got an unbelievable record here at home.

Ange Postecoglou was delighted with his side
(Image: Getty Images)

“It isn’t something you can be blase about. We have reached these standards before - now it’s about not dropping. You don’t come to a place like this believing it is going to be as convincing as it was for us.

“City test you in every footballing way possible. Defensively, working hard, being disciplined and playing football - and in all four areas we got to a strong level. We got back to our core beliefs as a team. We knew they would really come out because four defeats had all been away from home but we really grew into the game.”

Man-of-the-match Maddison said: “That's a birthday I’ll look back on quite fondly. To come here to the champions and perform like that and get the result. You have to cherish these ones, they don’t come around often.”

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