Pep Guardiola has conceded Liverpool look unstoppable but believes it is too early in the season to make any predictions about the title race.
Jürgen Klopp’s side have opened up an eight-point gap at the top of the Premier League with their 100% start and, though Manchester City overcame a seven-point deficit to become champions last term, Guardiola said that does not mean history will repeat itself.
“I don’t believe in that kind of thing, every season is different,” the City manager said. “In sport the only way to do well is to stay in the present. I’m not setting any points targets or objectives at this stage. In April and May you can do that but what we are facing is an opponent who are unstoppable right now. Liverpool are champions of Europe and haven’t lost once in eight games.
“We’ll just have to try and do what we can, we have 50 games left in all competitions. I’m not concerned about being the guy who thinks he’s going to win every Premier League for the rest of his life. Of course I still want to win, and I still believe we are contenders, but there is a long way to go and all sorts of dynamics, momentums and injuries still to happen. If we don’t win I will say congratulations to the team that does. What Liverpool are doing is fantastic but Chelsea and Arsenal are also getting better. The level is rising all the time.”
Guardiola made the point that no English team had won back-to-back titles for 11 years and, after setting new records in the last couple of seasons, there was always a likelihood of a levelling-off, a slight decline in urgency and intensity whether intentional or otherwise. “We tried to avoid it, but sometimes it is normal,” he said. “We are going to come back like we want to be, we have to be focused on winning our games.”
City will be helped in that regard by the return of Kevin De Bruyne from injury at Crystal Palace. John Stones and Benjamin Mendy are back in training though may not be fit in time for Saturday’s game. Guardiola is looking forward to the return of Aymeric Laporte after Christmas, though not the cramped festive schedule his side must endure first. Because of games being moved for television, City must play two matches in 48 hours at the end of December.
“The broadcasters are the bosses, it is not about us,” he complained. “We have lots of meetings with people but nothing changes. The system does not protect the players. All I can do between the two games [Wolves away on Friday 27 December and Sheffield United at home on 29 December] is to tell my players to get inside the fridge.”
