Man City boss Pep Guardiola claims Man City were ‘lucky’ to be ‘pushed’ by Liverpool

Pep Guardiola, whose Man City side took a big step towards the title in midweek, has thanked Liverpool for ‘pushing’ his team to keep challenging.

A headline appeared on The Athletic on Thursday morning: ‘This is the era of Manchester City’.

“At least there was a title race this time,” the outlet said when promoting journalist Daniel Taylor’s article.

Man City cruised to a 4-1 win over Premier League leaders Arsenal on Wednesday night to move within two points of Mikel Arteta’s side in two games.

Arsenal have taken three points from their last four games, starting with the 2-2 draw at Liverpool, and Man City are now set to clinch the title with time remaining. At least this time there was a title race.

But the truth is that we are in the Manchester City era.

Who will stop this?

There are only two scenarios that could prevent #MCFC from turning their dominance in English football into something even bigger in substance.

? @DTathletic

— The athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) April 27, 2023

Athletic seem to have conveniently forgotten in history that City won the title with only minutes left last season.

In 2019/20 they finished within 18 points of Liverpool; in 2018/19 only one point more.

It was just a point between the sides last season, with Man City overcoming a 2-0 deficit at Aston Villa to win 3-2 on the final day.

Guardiola certainly hasn’t forgotten Liverpool’s role in the Manchester City era, explaining how Jurgen Klopp’s team “pushed” City from complacency.

“We’ve been lucky as a team, I have to be honest, with the way Liverpool have pushed us in recent seasons,” he told BT Sport after Wednesday’s win. “The next three games are really important.”

“Match after match and we’ll see what happens.”

Pep Guardiola remains coy on Man City’s title prospects despite crucial victory over Arsenal… pic.twitter.com/vzi4Sg4Kwy

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 26, 2023

“After winning [the title] by 100 points, 98 points, you can say ‘OK, that’s enough’, but we realized Liverpool were pushing us.

“And Arsenal this season. They [won] 50 points in the first leg [of the season], I didn’t expect to get here in that position.

“Once we get there, we try to win, like all of us when we used to play. Why should I stop? It’s not necessary.”

Guardiola can often find himself bringing up Liverpool uninvited and more often than not that draws ridicule or at least confusion from those on Merseyside.

But it wasn’t paranoia; it was respect for a rival at a time when the media seem to have forgotten their role.

At least there was a title race this time, right? !

Also.. 

Jurgen Klopp wants Liverpool to sign 20-year-old La Liga wonderkid this summer

Liverpool have been linked with a transfer of Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah.

The 20-year-old has been an important player for the Spanish club and his performances have caught the attention of top clubs.

The former Arsenal Academy graduate has been linked with a return to England this summer and a report from Fichajes claims Jurgen Klopp’s club admire the talented young midfielder and would like the Reds to sign him.

The 20-year-old is an incredible talent with a bright future ahead of him. He could become a top flight player for Liverpool with the right training and experience. It’s no secret that Liverpool need central midfield reinforcements and the USA international would be a solid long-term investment for them.

Valencia are currently struggling to survive in the Spanish top flight and Musah will look to leave them if they fall at the end of the season. The 20-year-old is too good to play in the second division next season, especially as a number of top clubs are keen to secure his services.

Liverpool are set to lose Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner on a free transfer this summer. They need to replace the trio appropriately and Musah would be a quality acquisition. The chance to play in the Premier League next season could be an attractive option for the young midfielder and a move to England could speed up his development, especially when working under a world-class manager like Klopp.