Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has insisted that Liverpool have been and will always be their biggest challenger despite the Reds’ struggling start to the season.
Liverpool have had a below-par start to the season, and they find themselves languishing at 10th in the Premier League points table. The Merseyside outfit have earned just 10 points from their first eight matches in the league this season.
They have two wins, four draws, and two defeats from eight matches. Liverpool is already 14 points behind table-toppers Arsenal, but the Reds have a game in hand.
Speaking after Liverpool fell to a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool in their previous league game, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp had ruled them out of the title race.
“Anything can happen”: Pep Guardiola not ruling out Liverpool from PL title race
But despite Klopp admitting that the Reds are not in the title race, Guardiola considers them as Man City’s biggest challengers.
Guardiola believes Liverpool could still claw their way back into the title race, stating “anything can happen”.
“Always have been, always, will be,” Guardiola said. “I know the quality they have. If you asked this question with 10 games left I would say I don’t think they can catch the top of the league, and in that case Arsenal, but now anything can happen.”
Meanwhile, the two sides face each other in their next game in the Premier League. Liverpool host Man City at Anfield on Sunday and will be aiming to reduce the gap on the defending Premier League champions.
Man City have had a stellar start to the season, and they are unbeaten in the league so far. Guardiola’s men have played nine matches and have 23 points, just one short of table-toppers Arsenal.
Man City have seven wins and two draws in the nine matches they have so far played. They have a lead of 13 points over Liverpool, but the Reds have a game in hand.
Man City will be aiming to secure another three points and maintain an unbeaten run in the league when they face Liverpool. A win over the Merseyside outfit would also take their lead over Liverpool to 16 points.
Liverpool comes into the game on the back of their 7-1 thrashing of Rangers in the Champions League. Man City, meanwhile, heads into this fixture after sharing points with Copenhagen after a 0-0 draw in the Champions League.
