Pep Guardiola has message for Liverpool fans as Man City slump continues at Anfield
Pep Guardiola has admitted he was surprised by the taunts he received from Liverpool fans during his Manchester City side’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield.
The Reds extended their lead at the top of the Premier League as they picked up a deserved 2-0 win over the defending champions, thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah. Arne Slot’s side now sits nine points clear in the title race, having also extended their advantage over City to 11 points.
Guardiola’s misery continues, with his side now having lost six of their last seven games in all competitions, with their last win coming back on October 26. Their form has been so poor that Liverpool supporters subjected him to taunts of ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ during the second half.
Guardiola responded by gesturing with six fingers, referencing the amount of league titles his side has won under his stewardship, although he admitted afterward to being taken aback by the reaction from the Anfield crowd.
“All the stadiums want to sack me, it started at Brighton!” Guardiola said. “Maybe they are right with the results we’ve been having.
“I didn’t expect that at Anfield. They didn’t do it at 1-0, but at 2-0. Maybe they should have sung it in the past. I didn’t expect it from the people from Liverpool but it’s fine, it’s part of the game, and I understand completely. We’ve had incredible battles together. I have a respect for them.”
Reflecting on his side’s latest performance, Guardiola added: “The first 15-20 minutes they were unstoppable, they started so strong, we tried to play with a lot of control and passes, but it was difficult to take it.
“They deserved the first goal, but we started the first half so well and played well in the second half without too much threat. I know how strong Liverpool are in both boxes.
“I congratulate them and we’ll reset and start from zero and it is difficult to believe it. I rely a lot on these players, I know they are doing in this position. We’ll see what happens by the end of the season.”
Guardiola and City now face a major fight if they are to catch Liverpool now, having slid down to fifth after their latest defeat. There were yet more frailties on show as the Reds dominated during the first half, with the City boss admitting the right team won.
“I congratulate Liverpool, they deserve the victory and we accept the situation right now and we’ll build from that. We didn’t have a pre-season and then injuries, but we know that and we have to survive with that. We competed but didn’t create many chances.
“We don’t have the pace in the middle right now and they are stronger in the duels and you have to survive with the ball. We’re not good in transitions over 30-40 metres compared to them. We had to adapt and we did it. I cannot forget which players I have.
“I am here sitting as a manager and defending what we have done in the past thanks to them and more than ever I want to be with them and hug them. We have to change results and in the right time we will take the decision.”
Manchester City were never in this game – here are the numbers that prove why
Manchester City suffered a chastening defeat at Anfield on Sunday as Liverpool blitzed them from the first whistle.
Pep Guardiola’s side could have been at least 4-0 down by half-time and mustered very little in terms of a response.
Here are the statistics that show how Arne Slot’s side dominated their title rivals to move nine points clear at the top of the table, 11 points ahead of City.
Liverpool’s early dominance
Liverpool flew out of the traps and swarmed all over City in the early stages. It was the type of one-sided game that City are used to – with the difference being that they were on the end of the beating. In the opening 23 minutes City barely made it into the Liverpool half, while Liverpool camped in theirs.
Shot map shows scale of dominance
Ten shots to one in Liverpool’s favour suggested they should have been more than a goal up at half-time. They had good chances, too, with Van Dijk guilty of spurning two excellent opportunities in the first half alone.
Pep Guardiola admits Van Dijk had more shots than any City player
Five Liverpool players had three shots or more – no City player had more than two. That says it all.
Haaland not in the game
Erling Haaland was not to blame for City’s performance, but his contribution – or lack thereof – was still striking. In the first half he made four passes (one from the kick-off after the goal), was tackled while trying to dribble, cleared the ball once and won it back once. The Norwegian simply did not figure in an opening 45 minutes that was one-way traffic. It was arguably worse in the second half, as Haaland made three passes, had one weak shot on target and had another effort blocked. He barely figured in the game.
