Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiola has insisted that Liverpool have been very helpful in City’s dominance in the Premier League in the last five years.
The Spanish tactician who has been the coach of Manchester City since 2016, stressed that the performance of coach Jurgen Klopp and his team helped to push City to the limit.
Since coach Pep Guardiola who has coached FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich arrived in the Premier League, the Spanish coach has been able to build Manchester City to become the most fierce team in the competitive league.
Despite how fierce they are, Liverpool have refused to be under Manchester City’s shadow. Hence, Jurgen Klopp and his men have always been there to give City a run for their money.
Initially, Liverpool were struggling to make it into the top four, especially during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 seasons. But from the 2018-2019 season, Klopp found a way to always be on the neck of City.
For instance, when Pep Guardiola helped Manchester City to win the Premier League title during the 2018-2019 season, Liverpool finished second with just a point difference.
In the 2019-2020 season, Liverpool proved that they have come of age by ensuring that they paused the dominance of Manchester City as they won the season’s Premier League title.
Unfortunately for coach Jurgen Klopp and his boys, Liverpool suffered a series of injury woes during the 2020-2021 season that made it impossible for the Merseyside club to compete with Manchester City.
Hence, coach Pep Guardiola won the season’s Premier League title for the third time in four years while Liverpool finished 3rd, 17 points away from City.
In the 2021-2022 season, Liverpool bounced back and continued to compete with Manchester City bumper to bumper. Currently, City are leading the title race with 90 points in 37 games, a point above second-placed Liverpool with a game to go.
Based on this, the 2021-2022 Premier League title winner will be decided on the last day of the season, May 22, 2022. All the league games will kick off at 16:00.
For Manchester City to retain the title, they must defeat Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium. On the other hand, for Liverpool to overtake City, they must beat Wolves at Anfield Stadium and pray that Villa beat City.
Ahead of the Super Sunday fixtures, coach Pep Guardiola told Sky Sports that Manchester City “would not achieve” what they have achieved without Liverpool.
“We have our opponent who brings you to the limits, otherwise complacency arrives”, Guardiola added.
“The players are not stupid, I do not need to tell them how good they are. They play against them and see them on TV and I said, ‘wow if we want to be there, we have to do it’.
“I think it is quite similar like they should think about us.”
Pep Guardiola praises his players for Manchester City’s success
Before Manchester City decided to appoint Pep Guardiola, the club has managed to win just one Premier League title in the history of the club.
Since Guardiola took over, the Spanish tactician has helped City to win three Premier League titles. If his team beat Aston Villa later today, May 22, it would become the 4th time Guardiola won the Premier League title in five years.
Though it was under his reign that Manchester City enjoyed such unprecedented success, Pep Guardiola decided not to take the credit, insisting that his players deserve the praise.
“Incredible, top human quality players and persons,” Pep Guardiola said. “Without that, no tactics, no ideas. Nothing, nothing, top-quality players.
“All the other managers have amazing ideas and tactics. The praise in the football world is so suspicious. Every time you give good praise to me, I do not believe you. Not for one second, I’m so suspicious.
“Behind that is the players, the quality, the talent, the effort. When we are good is when we try to altogether follow one idea, but my ideas are not more special than the other ones.
“I have found a lot of incredibly talented managers in the Championship or the Premier League who do not have success. Do you know why? They do not have the good players that we have, it is as simple as that.”
"The praise in football is so suspicious… every time you give good praise to me, I don't believe you" 🤨😂
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 21, 2022
Pep Guardiola says his top quality players are the reason why Manchester City have had great success.pic.twitter.com/oEoHyh2u6A
