Manchester City's dire run of form continued as they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Premier League leaders Liverpool. It was the club's sixth defeat in seven games across all competitions, a result which left them 11 points adrift of a high-flying Liverpool side going into the crucial December fixture rush.
Mohammed Salah created one goal for Cody Gapko in the early stages of the opening half at Anfield, before making sure of three points from the penalty spot, as the game wound to a close.
City's under-fire manager Pep Guardiola, reacted in a Jose Mourinho-esque fashion after hearing the Liverpool crowd sing “you're getting sacked in the morning”. The Spanish tactician turned around and held up six fingers, indicating the number of Premier League titles he had won at the club.
That didn't deter the Liverpool fans, however, as they continued to chant with glee. In turn, Pep Guardiola repeated the gesture at the end of the match, which has sparked another round of conversations, both on digital and traditional media.
“Maybe They're Right…”
Speaking to journalists after the game, the former Bayern Munich manager told Sky Sports: ‘‘All the stadiums want to sack me, it started at Brighton! 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 respect for them.’’
Yet another defeat for Manchester City, yet another week of Pep Guardiola being in the news for non-footballing reasons. Last week, after a disappointing 3-3 draw with Feyenoord in which City threw away a 3-0 lead, the former Barcelona manager grabbed the headlines when he responded to a question about a bloody scratch on his face by saying he wanted to harm himself. He later clarified that his comments were not intended to make light of the very serious issue of self harm.
Sitting in fifth position after the Liverpool vs Manchester City game, it is the first time City has lost four consecutive games in the top flight division since 2008. The previously well oiled City machine that had so often steamrolled teams in the Premier League and around Europe, now seems completely broken. The team lacks control, a quality Pep teams have traditionally excelled at, and a fifth straight title seems off the cards at the moment.
What’s Next For Pep?
However, Pep Guardiola is not throwing in the towel just yet. After the Liverpool vs Manchester City game, he responded to comments about whether there will be a new title winner by saying: “Well, I said before that game that we are not in the position to think about targets but the season is long and we have to try to make a result after some players come back. After everything, we might be there maybe. There are many things to fight for and we will try.”