“Liverpool are favorites for the title” — Guardiola

It isn’t Pep Guardiola without the typical mind games, and following the 0-0 draw versus Arsenal at the Etihad, the Manchester City boss is tipping Liverpool for the premier league title.

Liverpool surged to the top of the league table after staging a comeback victory against Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield earlier on Sunday.

Liverpool’s triumph placed them three points ahead of Arsenal and four points clear of Manchester City by the time the latter two teams faced off at the Etihad Stadium. However, in a closely contested match, neither side managed to capitalize on any significant opportunities, resulting in a disappointing 0-0 draw.

With this result, Liverpool now holds a two-point advantage in the title race over Arsenal and a three-point lead over Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola, back to his usual mind game rhetoric, acknowledged Liverpool’s position, stating,

“They are in first position. They are top of the league so that is how it is. There are still nine games to go so we will see what happens.”

He further commented,

“Arsenal are the second favourites, we are the third. Whoever is top is favourite. It was in our hands. Now it’s not.”

Looking ahead, Guardiola emphasized the importance of focusing on their upcoming match against Aston Villa.

Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp however, will do so well to take Guardiola’s words with a pinch of salt and instead focus on themselves.

In contrast, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta highlighted his team’s improvement and competitiveness but recognized the need to take the next step to secure championships. He remarked,

“There’s another step to make to win championships and that’s that you have to win.”

Despite the draw, Arteta expressed optimism about Arsenal’s progress, stating,

“Today we were able to draw and we have to improve a lot to win.”