Premier League: Guardiola Challenges Liverpool Over City’s Record 100 Points
Pep Guardiola has taken a jab at Premier League leaders Liverpool, highlighting their inability to match Manchester City’s record 100-point tally. As City struggles this season, trailing 16 points behind the league leaders, Guardiola’s comments reflect both confidence and frustration amid his team’s challenges.
Liverpool currently sits seven points clear of second-placed Arsenal in their quest for a 20th title, which would equal Manchester United’s record. However, regardless of whether Liverpool clinches the trophy, they cannot surpass the impressive points total set by City during their title-winning campaign in the 2017-18 season.
Following City’s disappointing 3-2 defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League play-off round, Guardiola responded to critiques of his team’s performance this season with a pointed remark aimed at Liverpool.
“We took all the records in England. Who would do 100 points now in modern football? I’m waiting,” he told reporters. “Or four in a row? I’m waiting—with clubs like Bournemouth, Fulham, and Wolves that you have to play. The standards, we dictated. Have you seen Liverpool this season? They cannot do 100 points already—99 but not 100.”
Despite his taunts, Guardiola acknowledged that his team has fallen short this season. “I asked ‘Gundo’ (Ilkay Gundogan) yesterday, ‘two years ago you were here, you were one year in Barcelona and you come back here, did you see changes in the Premier League?'” Guardiola recounted. “He said massively, the difference was unbelievable. The teams are much, much, much better in all departments. People prepare so well.”
City’s struggles can be attributed to injury problems and fatigue among players, as Guardiola noted: “We deserve to have a bad season. We deserve not to be like we were. They are human beings; it can happen. We weren’t consistent and we haven’t had the players at their best.”
Guardiola reflected on the shift in his team’s performance, stating that City is now suffering even when they have possession, a situation he claims never happened in the past. “I accept when the opponents have the ball, I’m going to suffer. But now we are suffering when we have the ball. It never happened before, and right now, I cannot change it. We are suffering because we are human beings.”
