EPL title race: Guardiola drops bombshell after Wolves defeat
Pep Guardiola thinks the Premier League title race is over after Manchester City lost 3-2 to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday night.
City were 2-0 up at Molineux, despite having goalkeeper Ederson sent off after 12 minutes. The lead slipped away when Adama Traore, Raul Jimenez and Matt Doherty hit back for Wolves.
The result has left City 14 points behind leaders Liverpool, and Guardiola offered a bleak assessment of his side’s chances of retaining the title to BBC Radio 5 Live (h/t BBC Sport).
“The advantage is too big, yes. It’s unrealistic to think about Liverpool, we think about Leicester. We have the chance to recover second place. I know the quality of my team but that’s the situation.”
Pep Guardiola Says Liverpool's 'Advantage Is Too Big' in EPL Title Race https://t.co/8yN3QPD5dB #FOOTBALL
— Brummie Steve (@Brummie_Steve_) December 28, 2019
Admitting he and his squad are playing for second with half of the league campaign still to go may sound defeatist from Guardiola. However, it’s also a realistic appraisal of his team’s ability to claw back twice the points deficit they retrieved to retain the title last season.
23 – Manchester City have conceded 23 Premier League goals in 19 games this season – as many as they conceded in the entirety of the 2018/19 campaign. Worrying. pic.twitter.com/rUu5Udmnj8
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 27, 2019
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The Reds have yet to lose in the league this season, and not even the extra strain of winning the FIFA Club World Cup has slowed their momentum. Liverpool returned from the tournament to beat second-place Leicester City 4-0 away from home on Boxing Day.
Leicester losing opened the door for City to take second spot, but familiar defensive failings put paid to those hopes.