Pep Guardiola has explained how he – and Manchester City – are part of the reason as to why Liverpool are currently performing so well in the Premier League.
Never mind the fact of what Jurgen Klopp has built at Anfield – and how he’s gone on to turn us into believers, it’s about this bald Spaniard and his billionaire squad.
City are currently 17 points adrift of the Reds, but can close the gap to a measly 14 points with a win in their next game, as they’ve one in hand.
But Liverpool’s dominance this season has a fair bit to do with Pep, apparently. “I think maintaining 100 points or 90 points for three or four years [is difficult], I knew it. I didn’t want to think it too much in the beginning of the season but I thought we will be able to do it again,” he’s quoted as saying by the MEN.
“When we arrive here the standard was 85 points to win that. Now you have to reach almost 100 points to win the Premier League. That is why we helped Liverpool to make this step, buy incredible top players and now it is the level you have to reach.
“All the teams that are behind Liverpool, we know we have to make 100 points. Before it didn’t happen and we were the reason why. Maintain that and maintain that for a long, long time.”
He actually thinks that by him spending £500million on an elite squad at the Etihad has forced Liverpool to up their game – even though we’d slowly crafted together a team that’s grown together over the last four years.
I’m not denying that signing known stars, like Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho, has helped us, but we didn’t exactly match City bang for buck – we signed and developed most of our star players.
Suffice to say, I don’t agree with Pep’s comments – I think they’re incredibly misguided and egotistical, and to be honest, he’s probably done that on purpose.
That’s not to say City have been and are the team that pushes us that little bit further, like we do with them, but it’s got a lot more to do with Klopp and his team than Pep.